I LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.; 

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#|'«P' ■■' WiisW ^!o # 



{ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. | 



THE 



LIVING EPISTLE; 



OB 



THE MORAL POWER 



OF 



A RELIGIOUS LIFE. 



BY 



REV. CORNELIUS TYREE, 

OF POWHATAN COUNTY, VIRGIIJIA. 



WITH AN INTRODtiOTIOlSr 



REY. R. FULLER, D.D. 



NEW YORK: 
SHELDON, BLAKEMAN & C 0^ 

NO. 115 NASSAU STREET. 



1859. 









Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S53, by 

SHELDON, BLAKEMAN & CO. 

Tn the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States 

for the Southern District of New York. 




CONTENTS, 



PAOa 

Introduction" 5 

I. — Few Christians in the "World, and the Cause 

OF IT . . * 13 

11. — The Prevalent Defects in the Christian 
Character — and hotv these Defects ope- 
rate AGAINST THE SPREAD OF THE COSPEL . 22 

III. — Some op the Particulars in which the Re- 
ligion OF Christ must be exhibited in or- 
der TO EVINCE ITS DIVINITY, AND INDUCE MAN- 
KIND TO EMBRACE IT 55 

lY. — How Exemplified Religion effects the Con- 
version OF Mankind ... . . 84 
Y. — Means to be used for the Attainment op 

THE Piety recommended . . . .102 

YL — Motives which enforce Christians to higher 

Attain^ients in Practical Religion . .139 



r INTEODUCTION. 

The design of this treatise will at once commend 
it to the kind regards of the Christian community. 
We all know the importance of example. The in- 
stinct of imitation is seen in the child, long before he 
is capable of any other instruction ; and, in after life, 
the same propensity is discovered in the almost uni- 
versal conformity of our morals and habits to those 
of the people around us. It is very humiliating, but 
we must see things as they are, and there is no dis- 
guising the fact, that the gospel has been, and is, 
shorn of its power, not so much by any defect in the 
learning and eloquence of the pulpit, as by the sad 
discrepancies which the world detects between the 
teacliings of the Sabbath and our conduct during the 
rest of the week. 

This remark applies to the ministry and laity alike. 
I know how prone men are to prescribe to ministers 
a standard of holiness nothing short of perfection. 
This proceeds, not only from a caviling spirit, but 
from a desire to have pastors to whom, in the hour 
of need, they can say, " Give us of your oil for our 
lamps are gone outr Nor can any talents, however 
brilliant, qualify a man for the office of a preacher, 
unless he have, not only virtue, but a reputation for 
1* 



G INTRODUCTION. 

virtue. After all, liowever, God has nowhere drawn 
this distinction between ministers and other men. 
He requires the same holiness in all. And it is the 
want of this silent but resistless eloquence of holy 
living, which, more than any thing else, far more 
than all the impotent sophistries of infidelity, has 
hindered, and is hindering, the triumphs of the truth. 

Who has not felt the power of simple, unaffected, 
consistent piety ? Which of us but can recall cases 
w^here Christians of very humble intellects and at- 
tainments have, yet, by purity and integrity, com- 
manded universal and undissembled respect, not only 
for themselves, but for the religion they profess? 
" Ye are my witnesses," says the Saviour. And it will 
fare with the gospel as with any other cause. The 
jury will listen with jealousy and suspicion to the 
pleadings of official advocates. It is to the testimony 
of the witnesses they will look, and by this will their 
verdict be decided. This is the reason why the max- 
ims of the world are so much more influential than 
the maxims of the gospel. The children of this 
world are consistent. The votaries of pleasure, wealth, 
ambition, do not contradict their principles in their 
lives. But the children of light — what a melancholy 
contrast between their conduct, and the faith by 
which they profess to be governed. 

We are sometimes surprised, and even staggered, 
when we consider the little progress which the gos- 
pel has made, and is making, in the world. In fact, 
however, there is no cause for surprise. For if we 



INTRODUCTION. 7 

examine the history of the church so miscalled, what 
is it ? The annals of om' race contain no pages so 
dark, so stained with cruelty and blood. 

Even at this day, what is the character of too 
many of those ecclesiastical bodies which arrogate 
the title of The True Church ? Is not an external 
organization substituted for Christ ? And the very 
vices which are assailed most directly by the gospel, 
pride, the love of preeminence, the lust of power — 
the very passions against which the entire spirit of 
the gospel wages an internecine war — are not these 
vices and passions, and in their most arrogant forms, 
sanctified in those churches ? 

When we reflect upon these mournful foots, can 
we wonder that the religion of Jesus has not 
won more rapid and illustrious victories ? Beauti- 
fully simple, and yet irresistibly potent — "• fair as the 
moon, clear as the sun, terrible as an army Avith 
banners" — were the first churches. Those churches 
were not bodies artificially framed to exalt a class of 
men into a spiritual aristocracy, and. to collect and 
wield a worldly power for their own aggrandizement. 
The first churches were not framed at all. They 
grew, naturally and necessarily, out of ihe deepest 
wants of our nature. They were the free, spontan- 
eous, instinctive associations of those whose hearts 
had been changed by the Holy Spirit, and whose 
bosoms glowed, with the love of Christ. It was im- 
possible to keep such kindred spirits apart. Their 
souls were melted and at once fused together in a 



8 INTRODUCTION. 

brotherhood of faith and love and loyalty to Him 
who had loved them unto death. 

No argument is necessary to show that the moral 
aud spiritual power of such churches must have been 
great. Faith, love, inward sanctity, these were the 
elements of their piety. Self abnegation was the 
very spirit of their mission. Catching the full inspi- 
ration of the cross, and breathing an atmosphere yet 
warm with the benedictions of their ascended Lord, 
they consecrated time and talents and property to a 
work, simple indeed, but infinitely transcending all 
the enterprises of kings and heroes. They lived to 
do good, to regenerate and bless the earth. ISTo 
wonder that such bodies were centers of an influence 
which could not be resisted. But what utter and 
unut-erable degeneracy in many of the bodies called 
churches now. A sacramental religion ; forms, rites, 
creeds, " linen decencies," apocryphal successions, 
gifts invisible to man and to God himself, puerile 
manipulations, mystical and cabalistic virtues, and 
sacred enclosures where salvation is conferred by ma- 
chinery ; these are the glory of such churches. Can 
the gospel be advanced by these figments of the dark 
ages ? AVhat are such churches good for, but to de- 
lude the masses, and subjugate them to priestly domin- 
ion ? "All this clamor about church," says Dr. Arnold, 
" is only a clamor about priest." Nor is this spiritual 
ambition confined to any church. With his idiomatic 
terseness, Milton, long ago remarked with great truth, 
that " Presbyter is only priest written large T 



INTRODUCTION. 9 

The secret of the power put forth by the first 
churches is an open secret. It was not the number 
nor talents of the preachers, Nor did they possess 
any h'ght, nor were they animated by any promises 
of spiritual aid which are denied to us. It was their 
elevated practical piety which secured their noble 
triumphs over the pride of kings, and the counsels of 
rulers ; over the scoffs of philosophers, and the ma- 
lignant passions of the multitude. 

How simple and energetic was the faith of those 
apostolic men ! What ardent love ! What immola- 
tion of self on the great altar of the Redeemer's 
kingdom ! What fervent charity ! What uncompro- 
mising obedience ! What a profound sense of per- 
sonal responsibility ! What indefatigable zeal ! What 
loyalty ! so that it was their motto, " First a Chris- 
tian^ and then a ma^"— all other relations being sub- 
ordinated to the great allegiance. In a word, what a 
stern, inflexible fidelity to truth and integrity and 
honor ; this being the common proverb then, when 
one would affirm the utter impossibility of a thing, 
" You might as well hope to move a Christian from 
his principles." 

If the world is ever to be converted, the churches 
must not only be restored to their original simplicity 
of organization, but to the type of their original piety. 
The Reformation in the days of Luther was glorious ; 
but a reformation far more glorious is needed — a 
reformation in the characters and lives of Christians. 
The church is sometimes spoken of as an abstraction, 



10 INTRODUCTION. 

and we are told of its unity and its sanctity. But in 
the New Testament a churcli is no mysterious non- 
entity. It is a collection of real living men and 
women. The character of any church is the aggre- 
gate character of its members. To suppose that the 
church can confer holiness on the individuals com- 
posiDg it, is simply absurd. It is the faith and pur- 
ity and personal piety of the saints of God which 
give all its holiness to a church. And it is as these 
graces are quickened and invigorated, that the word 
of the Lord will have free course and be glorified. 

Some persons have wished that ministers were 
now endowed with the power of working miracles ; 
but we do not want miracles. We have the truth 
and the consciences of men. Let the truth only be 
enforced by the holy lives of Christians, and results 
will follow more noble than any which could be 
wrought by the most brilliant miracles. On every 
side we hear of the danger to be apprehended from 
the mistranslation of this or that Greek word ; but all 
the errors of all the interpreters of tlie sacred books 
are harmless, when compared with the falsification 
of the Scriptures — their spirit and doctrine — in the 
covetousness and worldliness and immoralities of the 
professed disciples of Jesus. We live in a busy 
world and a stirring age, and people trouble them- 
selves very little about Hebrew points and Greek 
texts; but the "living epistles are known and read 
of all men." Faith, assurance, orthodoxy, spiritual- 
ity. Very well. Those around us, however, do not 



INTRODUCTION. 1 1 

comprehend these things. But they do comprehend 
honest}^, and purity, and disinterestedness, and truth 
and charity. And it is by these virtues that our 
light is -so to shine " that men, seeing our good 
works, may glorify our Father who is in heaven." 

It is not to he denied that the world is censorious, 
and unjust towards the people of God. " John the 
Baptist came neither eating nor drinking, and they 
say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating 
and drinking, and they say, Behold a man glutton- 
ous, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and 
sinners." Still, when we consider the depravity of 
the human heart, the marvel is that the world is as 
lenient as it is to the faults of professed Christians. 
" What do you more than others ?" The world has 
a right to expect more of us. " Ye are the light of 
the world." Is it surprising that men are shocked 
if they see darkness where light ought to be ? " That 
ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, 
without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and per- 
verse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the 
world, holding forth the word of life." What an 
idea does (he Holy Spirit here give of the position 
and duty, dignity and responsibility of a Christian ! 
The allusion of the apostle is to a light-house ; and 
it recalls to my mind an incident related by a distin- 
guished traveler, the application of which to the sub- 
ject in hand is easily made, and with which I will 
finish this introduction, already most unexpectedly 
and unreasonably protracted. 



12 INTRODUCTION. 

" Being at Calais," says the writer, " I climbed up 
into tbe ligbt-house and conversed with the keeper. 
' Suppose,' said I, * that one of these lights should go 
out.' ' Never ! impossible !' he cried, with a sort of 
consternation at the bare hypothesis. ' Sir,' said he, 
pointing to the ocean, 'yonder, where nothing can 
be seen, there are ships going by to every part of the 
world. If to-night one of my burners were to go 
out, within six months would come a letter, perhaps 
from India, perhaps from America, perhaps from 
some place I never heard of, saying, on such a night, 
at such an hour, the light of Calais burned dim ; the 
watchman neglected his post, and vessels were in 
danger. Ah, sir, sometimes, in the dark nights, in 
the stormy v/eather, I look. out to sea, and feel as if 
the eye of the whole world were looking at my light. 
Go out ! Burn dim ! Oh, never !' " 

May He " who walketh in the midst of the seven 
golden candlesticks," arm us all with a vigilance ever 
wakeful as that of this guard inn of the French bea- 
con ! May we ever feel that the eyes of God, and of 
the whole world, are upon us ! And, in eternity, 
may we not only see that no souls have perished 
through our faithlessness, but may we be among 
those who, sustained and triumphing by almighty 
grace, having turned many to righteousness, shall 
shine as the brightness of the firmament and as the 
stars for ever and ever ! 

Richard Fuller. 
Baltimore, March 21th, 1858. 



CHAPTER I. 

FEW CHRISTIANS IN THE WORLD, AND THE CAIJSB 
OF IT. 

Why Lave there been, and why are there now, 
comparatively, so few Christians in the world ? The 
number of Christ's true friends is small in comparison 
with the ranks of His enemies. Near two thirds of 
the race are pagans ; a fifth part are Mohammedans ; 
only a sixth part are nominally Christians. Of this 
sixth part, by far the greater proportion are buried 
under the darkness of the Greek and Romish churches ; 
and even in Protestant countries, to how small a num- 
ber is the true church of Christ reduced ? In every 
country, city, town, village, and neighborhood, the 
multitude swarm the road to perdition, while only a 
few are on their way to Zion. Perhaps no commu- 
nity has ever yet been brought wholly to submit to 
Christ. How rare a thing to find, any where, the 
disciples of Christ in the majority ! 

Nor is this all. Many portions of the earth that 
were once reclaimed to Christ, are now lost. Pagan- 
ism and Mohammedanism now prevail where Chris- 
tianity was once in the ascendant. In many of the 
countries of modern Europe, w^here the Reformation 
once flourished, infidelity and Romanism have the 
sway. 

9 



14 TEW CHRISTIANS IN THE WORLD, 

Now, why this appalling- disproportion between 
the dominion of Christ and the prince of darkness ? 
What is it that so mightily impedes the progress of 
heaven- born Christianity ? What restricts her do- 
minion to so small a proportion of the earth ? Why 
are there so many millions in Christendom with whom 
the gospel is powerless ? Why, amid all the divinely* 
appointed means for the world's conversion, do so 
few become real Christians ? In our very midst there 
are thousands who do not believe Christianity is di- 
vine. Under the full blaze of the written and 
preached truth, infidelity and contempt of the gospel 
stalk abroad with demoniac confidence. 

Now why, it is most important to inquire, is the 
gospel so inefi'ective ? Where lies tLe main obsta- 
cle to the progress of Christianity ? It has now been 
eighteen centuries since the atonement was made, and 
the Spirit in His fullness given. Why, during this 
long period, has Christianity made so few and such 
partial triumphs ? For the glory of God and the 
good of the world, the cause of this comparative fail- 
ure of the gospel should be found out, pondered, and 
removed. 

1, The restricted sway of our holy religion is not 
owing to any limitation or inefiScacy in the atonement 
of Christ. That removes all the penal obstacles in 
the way of man's salvation, and embraces in its pro- 
visions the entire race. 

2. Nor is the comparatively small number of Chris- 
tians in the world to be ascribed to any absence or 



AND THE CAUSE OF IT. 15 

limitation in the promised Spirit. He is as really 
present, and is as willing and as able to convict, con- 
vert, and sanctify now, as lie was on the day of Pen- 
tecost. True, there is something on our part that 
restrains and prevents that full measure of His influ- 
ences being communicated, 

3. Nor can the great evil we are deploring be as- 
cribed to any want of adaptation and power in the 
gospel. That, consisting of an atoning cross and a 
renewing Spirit, is now, as it was when first preached, 
" the power of God unto salvation, unto every one 
that believeth." It is in itself divinely sufficient to 
convert the w^orld, thoroughly and speedily. It has 
lost none of its virgin freshness and power. 

4. Nor can the tardy progress of Christianity be 
resolved into the sovereignty of God. To say that 
the conversion of the world lingers, that souls at the 
rate of thirty millions a year pass into eternity un- 
clean sed, and cons^fequently unsaved by the blood of 
Christ, as the result of God's sovereignty, were a re- 
flection on His throne and character. He is indeed a 
Sovereign. His decrees and foreknowledge do extend 
to and control every thing in the universe ; but they 
interfere not with our freedom, and therefore do not 
relieve us of the responsibility for the limited spread 
of Christianity. In this thing there is a mystery ; 
but it is the mystery of selfishness and uncaring in- 
activity on the part of the friends of God. Had the 
successive generations of professed Christians fallen 
in with the divine arrano^ement for the conversion of 



16 FEW CHRISTIAXS IX THE WORLD, 

the world, lono; asfo '' the heathen would have been 
given to Christ for his inheritance, and the uttermost 
parts of the earth for his possession." 

5. Nor, further, is the disproportionately small num- 
ber of Christians in the world attributable to any 
want of logical evidence for the truth of Christianity. 
No other subject claiming human belief has a hun- 
dredth part of such proofs. Numerous miracles, with 
their appeals to the senses, prophecies becoming facts 
as the stream of time has rolled on, the character and 
precepts of Christ, and history with her thousand 
chapters, attest with the clearness of a sunbeam that 
Christianity, in the abstract, is the ambassadress of 
Heaven, and the benefactress of earth. In the way of 
documentary evidence, our rehgion has fought her 
battles, and been victorious. No use now to write 
books and preach sermons to prove that the gos- 
pel in itself is from God. Tliere are no more proofs 
that the sun in mid-heaven is the work of God, 
than there are that the gospel, as it is revealed in the 
Scriptures, is from Him. Mankind no more doubt 
the divine origin of the latter than they do that of 
the former. Hence our once mighty Butlers and Pa- 
leys are becoming obsolete. Not one man in ten 
thousand is kept from being a Christian from skepti- 
cism as to the divinity of the Bible itself. 

6. Nor has the gospel been so restricted in its dif- 
fusion because there has not been time to bring the 
world under its influence. Eighteen centuries have 
elapsed, since Christ completed the atonement, and 



AND THE CAUSE OF IT. l7 

gave the command to His disciples to convert the 
world. During the sixty years succeeding the day 
of Pentecost, the first Christians, with no more pow- 
erful gospel than we have, without any greater meas- 
ure of divine influence than God is willing to vouch- 
safe to us, and without many of the advantages that 
we have for spreading the empire of Christ, did more 
in Christianizing the world than has been done since. 
O, had the unadorned mantles of these New Testament 
Elijahs fallen upon all succeeding Elishas, the sun in 
his journey around our globe would not, perhaps, 
shine upon a nation nor a tribe that would not now 
be reflecting Christ's image and honoring Christ's 
name. There has been ample time for the grand ex- 
periment, 

7. Nor, furthennore, can the tardy progress of 
Christianity be referred, mainly, to the many doctiinal 
errors that have prevailed. These have hindered the 
coming of Christ's kingdom. The Scriptures and the 
history of the church show that there is a connection 
between one's belief and his life. Fundamental errors 
concerning the atonement of Christ, the nature and 
necessity of the Spirit's influence, the nature and ne- 
cessity of regeneration, the depravity of the human 
heart, and the ordinance of baptism, have been and 
are now mighty barriers in the way of the world's 
conversion, .and should with all haste be banished 
from the earth. We are unw^avering advocates for a 
sound creed. In another connection, ayc could show 
that so long as errors exist concerning one cardinal 
2* 



18 FEW CHRISTIANS IN THE WORLD, 

feature of the gospel, it is vastly important for us to 
" contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the 
saints." Let our theology be pure. In the interpre- 
tation of the Scriptures let us be strict constructionists. 
Let every Bible truth, in its revealed proportions, be 
clung to as the miser clings to his gold. But, after 
all, the professing world are more scriptural ia creed 
than they are in practice. They believe much more 
truth than they exemplify. Doctrinal heresies, though 
a great, are not the greatest difficulty in the way of 
the world's conversion. 

8. 'Nov does the gospel fall short of its designed 
influence, because mankind have gTown more dej^raved. 
When, at first, Christianity spread, in a few years, 
over the whole Eoman empire, mankind were utterly 
depraved ; they are not more than that now. No 
doubt the world have, during the last fifty years, 
upon the whole, grown better. At no former period 
were maukind more favorable to Christianity than 
they are now. AYhy then, we raise the question 
again, are there such vast regions abroad, and so 
many millions at home, unsubdued by the cross of 
Christ ? 

9. Is it owing to a paucity of the means of grace ? 
In heathen lands, and in many portions of Christen- 
dom, the absence of Chiisiianity is doubtless attrib- 
utable to the absence of the appliances of grace ; and 
hence, with all speed, the churches should convey to 
such destitute regions the means of salvation. But 
where these means are enjoyed in redundance, what 



I 



AND THE CAUSE OF IT. 19 

crowds tlirong the way to hell ! In almost every 
family are to be found the Scrijotures of God. In 
the city and in the country, in almost every neigh- 
borhood, there is a house of worship, in which re- 
sounds, Sabbath after Sabbath, the gospel from faith- 
ful ministers. The press daily multiplies good books 
by millions. Every church has, by scores, their so- 
cieties for the promotion of the different interests of 
the gospel. Every church holds yearly its protracted 
meeting. Sabbath Schools in every direction are in 
operation. In the family, and in the social circle, ten 
thousand professors daily pray with and for the irre- 
ligious : and yet, amid all these heavenly instrumen- 
talities, a vast majority live and die in unbelief. 
Around us are hundreds who are sermon-proof. In 
very many cases the children of professing parents are 
infidels. True, these agencies are blessed to the 
conversion of many ; but the number they save is 
discouragingly small compared with the number on 
whom tliey are brought to bear in vain. These 
means may be multiplied and diffused a thousand- 
fold ; but unless they are enforced and ratified by a 
corresponding personal hohness, the victories of the 
gospel will still be circumscribed. 

10. In fine, are our means and resources inade- 
quate to evangelize the world ? In commanding His 
people to convert the world, has Christ required of 
them an impossibility ? Has lie left them without 
sufficient means to achieve this sublime end ? No ; 
they are not straitened in Him. The work is the 



20 

greatest and most difficult in the universe ; but under 
God, with proper efforts, they can do it. 

Have we found the great primal cause of the slow 
progress of Christianity ? Many causes, doubtless, 
both on the part of the friends and the foes of Christ, 
have hindered the spread of truth, for which both 
are responsible ; but we write it down as our most 
solemn conviction that the great obstacle in the way 
of the diffusion of the gospel^ is the low tone of prac- 
tical religion among the jprofessed friends of Christ, 
We say this advisedly and emphatically. We have 
lingered to show what are not the principal impedi- 
ments, that every reader may the more distinctly and 
reahzingly ponder the main hinderance. The re- 
sponsibility for the slow diffusion of Christianity lies 
at the door of those who profess to be the disciples 
of Christ. In their lives they have misrepresented 
the religion of the Bible ; and thereby repelled from 
it the world. This great fault on the part of the 
churches by no means exculpates mankind for their 
irreligion. Their blame is just as great as if all who 
named the Saviour's name walked even as He walked. 
It is at the same time true that professors are respon- 
sible for the unfair and ruinous inference that " those 
who are without" draw from their inconsistencies. 
There are among the friends of the Redeemer many 
other causes that hold back the overflowing glories 
of the gospel, for which they are accountable, and 
which they should at once put away ; but none, nor 
all others combined, so much retard the kingdom of 



AND THE CAUSE OF IT. 21 

Christ, as the want of a higher standard of personal 
religion in the churches of God. This makes the 
world's redemption linger. Christian brother ! we 
desire that you should think on this position till it 
not only gains the assent of your mind, but the deep 
and practical persuasion of your heart. 

We repeat the position — and it challenges prayer- 
ful reflection from all "who love our Lord Jesus 
Christ in sincerity" — that the chief reason why so 
small a proportion of our fcillen race has been re- 
claimed to Christ is not because our Saviour and his 
gospel are not perfect, not from the want of a purer 
version of the Scriptures ; nor so much from the 
want of a purer theology ; nor so much from lack of 
mor^ and better preachers ; nor so much ii-om the 
want of a more extensive circulation of the Scrip 
tures, and other good books ; nor so much from the 
want of more colleofes and theolooical schools. It is 
certain that a deficiency in these most important in- 
strumentalities operates most extensively against the 
cause of Christ ; but the grand evil that lies back of 
and gives rise to most of the diflaculties in the way 
of the world's redemption, and towers up itself, like 
mountains piled on mountains, is the want of a more 
thorough piety in the mass of church members. 
Let this be removed, and most of the other impedi- 
ments will at once disappear. -^^ 



CHAPTER II. 

THE PREVALENT DEFECTS IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARAC- 
TER AND HOW THESE DEFECTS OPERATE AGAINST 

THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL. 

On opening tlie "New Testament, one of the first 
things that rivets the attention of the careful reader, is 
the beauty and perfection of the Christian character, as 
sketched by Christ and His apostles. Bead the Ser- 
mon on the Mount ; turn then to the sixth, eighth, 
and twelfth chapters of the Epistle to the Romans ; 
ponder then the thirteenth chapter of the First Epis- 
tle to the Corinthians ; then study the third chapters 
of the Epistles to the Ephesians and Philippians ; with 
the addresses of our risen Lord to the Seven churches 
of Asia ; in fine, read all the Scriptures. Here you 
will find religion as it is, and as it should be. Upon 
the pages of God's Book the Christian character 
shines forth in all its unearthly beauty. Look at 
religion as it was displayed by the first Christians. 
True, they had some imperfections ; but these imper- 
fections were like spots in the sun. But above all, 
witness religion as it was exemplified in the charac- 
ter of Jesus Christ. He was a pattern as well as the 
author of our religion. Now the precepts of the 
Scriptures, and the example of the first Christians, 



DEFECTS IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 23 

and above all, the example of Christ, constitutes the 
infallible standard and touchstone for all lands and 
ages. In reality, and in the estimation of Heaven, 
and of earth, we are religious just in proportion as 
we conform to this standard. But who is not struck 
with the contrast between the religion of Christ, as it 
is revealed in the Scriptures, and as it appears in the 
lives of modern professors ? Study religion as it is 
in the inspired standard, and as it appears in actual 
life, and you will be pained and astonished at the dis- 
similarity. Are they one and the same ? How im- 
mensely and distressingly short do the mass of pro- 
fessing Christians come of the inspired model ? 

Now the wide-spread and manifest difference be- 
tween religion as it should be, and religion as it is ; 
between the religion that Christ displayed and the 
Scriptures reveal, and the religion now seen in the 
conduct of professors, is the far-reaching cause of the 
limited diffusion of vital Christianity. 

But let us exhibit some of the particulars in wbich 
the religion of actual life, when compared with the in- 
spired standard, is defective — in other words, the prev- 
alent defects in practical religion. 

1. We say in general, that the common type of Chris- 
tian character is greatly wanting in personal holiness. 
Our religion on record, is a holy religion. It wages a 
war against all sin, great and small. It has no man- 
tle to in wrap a small or fashionable sin under the 
guise of an infirmity. The Scriptures hold up sin's 
malignant features in the sunlight of eternal truth, 



24 THE PREVALENT DEFECTS 

and for onr illustratioii of its fimits, point to a blasted 
earth and a burning hell. 

Take a few of the precepts of our religion as it is, 
in the oracles of God. " Without holiness, no man 
shall see the Lord." " Be ye holy for I am holy.'' 
" Let all bitteraess, and wrath, and aDger, and clamor, 
and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all 
malice, and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, 
forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, 
hath forgiven you." "That ye may be blameless 
and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the 
midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom 
ye shine as lights in the world." " Let your light so 
shine before men, that they may see your good 
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." 
" finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, what- 
soever things are honest, whatsoever thin^ are just, 
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are love- 
ly, whatsoever things are of good report ; if there 
be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on 
these things," and then witness how holiness was per- 
sonified in its Author. He was the holy precepts of 
the law embodied. He was a bright model of all his 
people should aim at and show. His manner of life 
corrects all in us that is wrong, whether of defect or ex- 
cess. " He did no sin, neither was guile found in his 
mouth." ** He was holy, harmless, undefiled, and sepa- 
rate from sinners." He re-entered heaven with his moral 
character as pure as it was when he came into the world, 

Now how far short do the mass of professing 



IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 25 

Christians fall, of exemplifying these precepts, and of 
copying Christ their great model ! How unscrip- 
tural and un-Christlike are hundreds who name the 
name of Christ ! What a marked difference in 
point of purity between the religion of thG Bible and 
of Jesus, and the religion of most professors ! It 
can not be denied that some bearing the Christian 
name, are strangers to common morality. Their 
passions are unsubdued, their tongues are unbridled, 
their habits are loose ; in life, they are enemies to the 
cross of Christ. Their creed exerts no control over 
their tempers and conduct. It slumbers inertly in 
their minds, leaving them as proud, as self-indulgent, 
as covetous and selfish as the great crowd who make 
no pretensions to religion. 

How lax are some in the observance of the Sab- 
bath ! How engrossed others in the pursuit of gain ! 
How cunning and over-reaching others in all their 
pecuniary transactions ! How unfeeling and unchar- 
itable others toward the poor ! How passionate and 
cruel others in the management of their servants ! 
How freely and incautiously do others touch the 
wine-cup ! How revengeful and malicious others to- 
ward those who have wronged them ! How haughty 
others in their bearinsr toward inferiors ! How stinted 
and illiberal others in their contributions to spread 
the gospel ! How infrequent others in their attend- 
ance at the house of God ! O shame, where is thy 
blush ? " They are the worse for mending, and are 
washed to a fouler stain." " Tell it not in Gath ; 
3 



26 THE PREVALENT DEFECTS 

publish it not in the streets of Askelon, lest the 
daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice ; lest the 
daughters of the Philistines triumph." Here is the 
cause of our failure. This unholiness in the ranks 
of Zion accounts for our want of success with both 
God and man. This vast amount of irreligion in the 
churches has grieved the Spirit, in whom is all our 
efficiency ; and repelled and prejudiced mankind. 
This is the grand cause of the unbelief and infidelity 
around us. Men being, from theu' depravity, dis- 
posed to reject the religion of Christ, at once, when 
they see such flagrant inconsistencies in professing 
Christians, draw the conclusion that the fountain 
from which such uncleanness flows can not be pure — 
that whether there be any thing real in Christianity 
or not — that they must be as safe for eternity as 
those whose profession so flatly contradicts their lives. 
So long as our churches have such unscriptural mem- 
bers, sinners through all their tribes and gradations 
will not only find no difficulty in rejecting the gos- 
pel, but will scornfully curl the hp, and pointing to 
such professors, say : " And what do ye more than 
others ?" 

Now this wdll never do. Throughout all our 
churches there must be a radical improvement in ho- 
liness, or the mighty restraints to the outpouring of 
the Spirit, and the stumbling-blocks in the way of the 
world's conversion will never be removed. Habitual 
sinning must be abandoned. We shall never impress 
the impenitent with the divinity and importance of 



IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 27 

our religion till throughout the rank and file of our 
membership the covetous become liberal, the proud 
humble, the cruel kind, the sensual temperate, the self- 
ish beaevolent, the revengeful forgiving, the prayerless 
devout, and the slothful active. 

2. Another prevalent and hurtful defect in the 
Christian character of this day h fickleness. The re- 
ligion required of us in the Scriptures, and displayed 
by Christ, is a steady, uniform, life-long habit. The 
command is, '^ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye 
steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work 
of the Lord." To fickle Reuben God said, ^^ Unstable 
as water, thou shalt not excel." 

All good rcsulis in nature are effected by agencies 
that are ceaseless and uniform. Destruction is the 
work of influences that are capricious and sudden. A 
crop may in a moment be destroyed by a storm, but 
it can not be raised unless the laws of vegetation ope- 
rate regularly, and the sun shines on steadily from 
spring till autumn. What would be the effect on the 
natural world if the- sun, moon, and stars should sud- 
denly cease to shine in mid-summer ? 

Not more hurtful would such capriciousness in the 
lights of the heavens be to the physical world than is 
unsteadiness in Cluistians, the moral lights to the 
moral world. Many of them are half-hearted, tran- 
sient, and periodical in their religion. Cbameleon- 
like, they take a hue from every new condition they 
are placed in. They change with the times, vary with 
circumstances, and always conform to the company 



28 THE PREVALEXT DEFECTS 

tliey are in. "With the worldly they are worldly, and 
witli the pious they are paints. AYljen this class are in 
revivals and under afflictions, they are zealous, hum- 
ble, prayerful, and heavenly -minded ; but when co'd 
times, and health and prosperity return, they are as 
lukewarm and as worldly as if no re^dval vows had 
ever been made, or if the hand of God had never been 
upon them. Like periodical streams that flow rapidly 
during the rains, and dry up in droughts ; they are all 
life and zeal in propitious times, and then in stupid 
seasons they are as supine and inconsistent as if they 
had never known Christ. Like meteors that blaze 
on the world for awhile and then beconic extinguished, 
lea\~ing darkness more visible. Christians of this type 
are strikingly religious under some visitation from 
God, and anon the light of their example dies out. 
Like a comet glittering on the mantle of night, and 
then disappearing, they make a profession and run 
well for awhile, and then commence dropping one re- 
ligious trait after another, till they become undistin- 
guishably blended with the great crowd that move on 
to perdition. In the language of an old writer, " they 
are by turns a pastor's comforters and tcrmenters. 
Both God and Satan seem equally to claim and dis- 
own them." 

Now such professors are practical corrupters and 
perverters of the truth, and are the means of doing it 
immense mischief. They betray the cause they es- 
pouse, harden the wicked in their irrehgion, and prove 
stumbling-blocks to the honest inquirer. Impulsive- 



IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 29 

ness and irregularity of conduct weakens the strength 
of the Christian character, and impairs the confidence 
of others in religion in this way. While Christians 
are firm, walking worthy of their calling, mankind 
look on and begin to think that they are in earnest, and 
that religion is true ; but anon they grow remiss, their 
zeal is cool, they begin the service of another master : 
the w^orld sees it, distrust is awakened, and they are 
confirmed in their unbelief. 

Now, for the sake of God's honor and the world's 
good, this defect should at once be coiTected. Every 
lover of Christ and the souls of men, should determine 
to be thoroughly and permanently religious. To con- 
vert those without, Christians must be like the streams 
flowing from perpetual fountains, which, though in- 
creased by the rains and diminished by the droughts, 
yet flow on continually, with sparkling beauty and 
increasing fertihty ; or like the fixed stars, which, 
though sometimes obscured by the clouds, yet shine 
on from the dome of the moral heavens with unabated 
brilliancy on benighted man. Just let Christ's disci- 
ples be uniformly as well as really pious, and they 
will both illuminate and melt the world. They will 
til en, in more senses than one, be the world's only 
hope. 

3. Another defect in the religion of most profes- 
sors is that they make it secondary to the interests of 
time and sense. The Scriptures, in the way of com- 
mands and examples, make the service of God man's 
chief business beneath the sun. " But seek first the 

3* 



30 TEE PREVALENT DEFECTS 

kingdom of God, and his righteousness ; and all these 
thing^s shall be added unto von." Viz., make the 
concenis of my kingdom, and your interests in it, first 
in order of importance, and first in order of time. 
David speaks of godliness as his only concern. '' One 
tkinj have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, 
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the 
days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and 
to inquire into his temple." Says Paul, *" This ane 
thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, 
and reaching forth unto those things which are be- 
fore, I press toward the mark." Paul did many 
things, but they all had a oneness of design. . So of 
all the Xew Testament disciples. Their religion 
foiTned their theme, business, and character. Xay 
more : reliofion was the o;reat business of the Master 
Himself. Said He to ffis parents, " Wist ye not that 
I must be about my Father's business ?" To obey the 
law, and work out human redemption, occupied all His 
thoughts, feelings, and toils, from His cradle to His 
cross. Thrones and kingdoms were nothing to Him. 
The religion of God was every thing. 

And from the re it nature of the case, if the reli- 
gion of CI iris t be any thing, it must be every thing ; 
if it be of any importance at all, it is of all importance. 
Man's chief end is not to buy, sell, and get gain, and 
then go and sleep an everlasting sleep in the grave ; 
but it -is to live that he may do good, and find an ad- 
mission into Paradise when he dies. Every thing 
else pales into insignificance in comparison with this. 



IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 31 

This is the reh'gion of the Bible, and it is as reasonable 
as it is scriptural 

But how many, in this day, make the religion of 
Christ their " all and in all ?" It is our painful convic- 
tion that many modern professors reverse the divine 
order, and sink their religion into an affair of subor- 
dinate importance. The language of their lives is 
that they prefer many worldly objects to the favor 
and honor of Christ What hundreds of Christ's 
avowed friends, in the tenor of their lives, make the 
interests of the soul and eternity give place to the 
body and time! Practically the concerns of earth 
and of self have assumed the place of heaven and of 
God. Their profession and creed to the contrary, 
notwithstanding, that is first with them which should 
be last, and that last which should be first ; that is 
uppermost which should be undermost, and that 
undermost which should be uppermost. Are w^e 
doing the present race of professors injustice ? God 
forbid. Our appeal is to their lives. Are there not 
scores who, in action, make the interests of the 
church of which they are members, the spread of the 
gospel around them, the conversion of souls, and the 
promotion of revivals, secondary to their temporal 
concerns ? Do they not habitually neglect the former, 
while they evince all zeal in the promotion of the 
latter? They say by their manner of living — and 
some of them seem determined never to unsay it — 
our farms, our merchandise, shall engross our every 
care ; we will, as our chief business, buy and sell, and 



32 THE PREVALENT DEFECTS 

get gain ; after pleasures, riches, and honors, we will 
go, though we revoke our baptismal vow, and open 
Christ's wounds afresh. 

Such professors impede the march of Christianity 
more than all of her outward foes. No infidel can 
injure the cause of Zion as much as that professor 
who shows a deeper concern in the afi*airs of the 
world than he does in the affairs of Christ's king- 
dom. Who, in all the ranks of Christ's enemies, does 
as much asfainst the truth as the church member who 
reads the corrupt romance more than his Bible ; 
takes a deeper interest in the gay assembly, where 
God is forgotten, than he does in the prayer-meeting ; 
and who manifests more zeal in promoting a political 
party than he does the church of Christ ? 

Hume's Essay on Miracles has been regarded as 
the most formidable and dangerous attack that has 
been made on Christianity ; yet it was so clearly an- 
swered by Campbell and others, that truth was great- 
ly the gainer by the assault. The life, however, of a 
professor who is supremely engrossed in the things of 
time, is an argument against our rehgion that is, of 
all others, the most difficult to answer. The truth 
is, that pride, covetousness, sloth, and self-indulgence 
in such, is an argument against Christianity which, 
as far as it goes, can not be answ^ered. Over the 
Carlyles, the Strausses, the Humboltes, and the Park- 
ers, we will soon triumph with increased power. We 
laugh all such enemies to scorn. But we do dread 
worldly professors. They strike us dumb. They are 



IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 3^ 

Satan's best allies in our own camp. Hence it is our 
solemn conviction, that unless they can be induced 
to tear the world from their heart, rend the vail from 
their eyes, and make the religion of Christ their pre- 
eminent business on earth, it will be better for all con- 
cerned that they should have their names stiicken 
out of the baptismal register, and lay off the sacred 
badge of their profession. 

This glaring defect in our Christian characters 
"Taust be corrected ; wc must return to the first prin- 
ciples of the gospel, or disappointment and defeat will 
await all our efforts to convert the world. 

We must become persons of one book. It is a 
disparagement of a man in the worldly aspects of his 
character to be a man of one idea. Far otherwise 
with the Christian. To be a person of one book, 
one idea, is his glory and power. Let us then, in 
reality and in appearance, make the salivation of our 
own soul, and the souls of others, the great mission ot 
life. Let Christians act on the principle that if either 
interests must be neglected, it shall be those of the 
body and of time; not those of the soul and of 
eternity. Let them impress the world that they hold 
every thing else subservient to getting good and 
doing good ; that they are determined, by all means, 
to reach heaven, and attend to the world by the way. 

Then the sun blazing in mid-heaven will not be 
more evidential that there is a God of nature, than 
will be the example of such Christians that there is a 
God of grace. 



34 THE PREVALENT DEFECTS 

4. A want of affectionateness is another defect in 
the mass of Christians. " God is love." Jesus Christ 
was an incarnation of love. Love to man, however 
dimmed and down-trodden, was the great passion 
that animated and impelled Him. " Love prompted 
all His deeds, shone in all His smiles, breathed in all 
His sighs, led Him to Gelhsemane, and then to Cal- 
vary, and kept Him there till He offered Himself a 
spotless victim for our sins." On the countenance of 
the dying Saviour there was one expression stronger 
than the dying agony itself: it was calm, meek, un- 
conquered love ; and when He came back from the 
sepulchre, love prompted Him to send the redemption 
He had just achieved, first to His murderers ; love in- 
duced Him to commission His apostles to carry the 
tidings of that redemption to all the world ; love con- 
trols all His movements in the wide range of ffis me- 
diatorial government, and leads Him to seek through 
all, and in all, the salvation of the world. The same 
undjdng compassion for the unsaved, was, in a great 
measure, possessed and manifested by the apostles. 
"WTiat intense, world-wide compassion still lives in 
their sermons, prayers, and epistles ! They moved 
the world because they wore as a frontlet on their 
brow, the compassion of the cross. What is the 
religion of the ]^ew Testameut 1 It is supreme love 
to God and man. Without it, "though we speak 
with the tongues of men and of angels, though we 
have the gift of prophecy, understand all mystery, and 
all knowledge ; and though we have all faith, so that 



IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 35 

we could remove mountains ; though we bestow all 
our goods to feed the poor, and give our bodies to be 
burned, and have not love, we are nothing." 

This is the religion that Christ and His apostles 
taught and exemplified, and the religion that the 
Scriptures record and require of all who would make 
good their claim to the Christian's name. But how 
distressingly unlike Christ and the primitive saints, 
in this particular, are the professors of this day ! 
How far short do they come of exemplifying the thir- 
teenth chapter of First Corinthians ? How unbroth- 
erly toward each other, and how selfish, cold, and 
repelling, toward mankind around them ! What 
acrimony between those who have one common Sa- 
viour ! What uncharitableness in their mutual bear- 
ing toward each other in the ministry ! What petty 
quarrels and alienations between religious editors ! 
What feud, strife, and evil-speaking in the churches ! 
How unkind member toward member; and then 
what virulence between the various sects ! The jeal- 
ousy and animosity with which they mutually attack 
and repel each other, often, has scarcely a parallel 
with those who profess no fellowship with Christ. 
Whatever else the world may now say of the disci- 
ples of Christ, they can not say, " Behold how these 
Christians love each other." 

Nor have the friends of Christ been less deficient 
in love toward the ii-religious. For fear of subject- 
ing themselves to the charge of fanaticism, they have 
repressed their warmth and solicitude for the impeni- 



36 THE PREVALENT DEFECTS 

t€nt, and made their religion assume the aspect of 
formah'ty and coldness. They have fallen into the 
error that earnestness and enthusiasm may be toler- 
ated in every thing else but in religion. 

Now, piety of this cold, stereotyped grade is as 
powerless as it is unscrij^tui'al. The physical world 
might at once be flooded by all the hght of the sun, 
moon, and stars, and yet, in the absence of that mys- 
terious vital warmth which accompanies their rays 
at certain seasons, the earth would remain one vast 
scene of wintry desolation. So with the case in 
hand : not all the light streaming from the Scriptures 
— good books and an eloquent ministry, will ever 
melt the wintry depravity of man without the glow- 
ii.g warmth of Christian love. In order to their 
being converted, mankind do not so much need in- 
formation as they need persuasion ; but nothing per- 
suades so mightily as love. When compassion for 
souls has been inspired by the cross, kindled by the 
Spirit, fed by secret prayer, and then breathes from 
the hps, and beams from the eyes, it melts and wins 
man's heart when nothing else could move him. 

The type of religion, then, that we need, must com- 
bine and display a due proportion of warmth as well 
as heat. All Christians who have made their mark 
on the world, have had compassionate hearts and 
affectionate manners. Said a man once to one of 
Whitefield's friends, " How is it that your Whitefield 
has set the world all on fire ?" " Because he is on fire 
himself," was the trutliful reply. Said a veteran mil- 



m THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 37 

itary officer, " I . have not wept but once for forty 
years^ and that was when I heard Jesse Bushy- 
head, the Cherokee preacher, address his country- 
men from the parable of the prodigal son, when his 
tears fell faster than he could wipe them away." It 
is not learning, logic, and rhetoric, that form the key 
to the human soul, but love. It is just here hun- 
dreds of ministers are erring. On every Sabbath, 
thousands of sermons, though logically, rhetorically, 
and theologically correct, fall with pointless insipid- 
ity, because wanting in the mighty element of love. 
Many ministers who are common-place and powerless, 
would be mighty under God in pulling down strong- 
holds, if they spoke the truth in love. The great 
want in the ministry is not more learning, nor polish, 
nor acquirements, but a deeper and intenser love for 
souls, to vitalize their matter and manner. This is 
true eloquence. No one can preach without it. Nor 
in the ministry only must our rehgion put on the 
winning forms of love. To the Sabbath-School teacher, 
to the parent, to the husband, the wife, in sum to 
Christians in all relations, love is indispensable in 
order to convert sinners from the error of their way. 
Mankind, upon whom we are to operate, are not only 
accurate judges of morality, but they are shrewd phy- 
siognomists. They instinctively read the feelings of 
our heart in our countenances, and intonations of 
voice, and they are repelled from us, and from our 
religion, by coldness in our manner as well as by im- 
propriety in our conduct. O for a religion, affection- 



38 THE PREVALENT DEFECTS 

ate, like that which Jesus and His first disciples dis- 
played ! Then would Zion's self-inflicted wounds be 
healed, her beauty be restored, her strength be re- 
gained, and every where she would find access to all 
hearts for her Lord. 

5. Another palpable defect in the present type of 
Christian character, is the want of a calm, satisfied, 
cheerful spirit. The religion of Christ is a joyful 
religion. The gospel is glad tidings of great joy. 
Christianity is the most blissful theme in the uni- 
verse. It did not create sin, woe, and death. Its 
mission is to remove these evils, and fill earth with 
gladness, and heaven with shouts of transport. It 
banishes unhappiiiess by removing its cause ; and 
then awakens in the soul a positive, pure, ever-aug- 
menting happiness. Mopish and sad Christians there 
are ; but in all the Scriptures we have never read of 
a melancholy religion. The religion enjoined in the 
Bible, and that shone so brightly in the example of 
the primitive Christians, is an anticipated heaven on 
earth. 

''''Happy is that people whose God is the Lord." 
" Rejoice ia the Lord always, and again I say, re- 
joice." In whatever state the early saints were, they 
were content. In every thing they gave thanks. K 
sorrowful, they w^ere always rejoicing. They were 
cheonul in the house of their pilgrimage. They 
charmed the ear of a goodless world by their songs of 
ioy, as they walked on to the grave. 

But how have modern Christians deteriorated in 



IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 39 

this respect ! Wherefore ? Has Christianity changed ? 
Its grounds of joy are the same, Jesus Christ is the 
same, the promises are the same, the grace of God is 
the same, and the hope of heaven is the same. The 
reason of this great falling off in Christian happiness 
is a misapprehension of the genius of our gospel, and 
inconsistency of life. 

" Some professors have long and demure faces, and 
are always sighing and groaning as if they Avere at a 
funeral," Others practically declare that their religion 
is not satisfactory, by going to the world for pleasures. 
They seem less calm and cheerful in the service of 
Him whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light, 
than they did v^hile in bondage to sin and Satan. 
Here and there are to be found a few who are se- 
renely happy in the service of Christ ; but the great 
majority appear to be no happier than others. 

Now such Christians greatly misrepresent their re- 
ligion, and hinder the world's conversion. They con- 
firm the prevalent and fatal prejudice, that the reli- 
gion of Christ is unfavorable to present happiness. 
They render the religion of their Master unlovely and 
repulsive in the estimation of the irreligious. The 
world is repelled by a piety apparently so comfortless 
and unquiet. There is an immense loss to the cause 
of Christ, from the fact that so many Christians do 
not make it clear to them that are about them that 
they find in the service of God a solid, satisfying good. 
It is our conviction that the gloom and sourness that 
have characterized some professing Christians, have 



40 THE PREVALENT DEFECTS 

been the occasion of thousands rejecting the gospel, 
and going away to an undone eternity. It may be 
well questioned whether sullenness and sadness in the 
disciples of Christ, have not done as much harm to 
the cause of truth as immorality of conduct. 

It is high time, then, that such mistaken views of 
heaven-born Christianity should be corrected. We 
owe it to deathless souls around us to be satisfied and 
cheerfal Christians. Happiness is the world's great 
pursuit, and when they shall see Christians evincing 
that they have found it ; see them serene and col- 
lected amid the waves of trouble ; behold them kept 
tranquil amid earth's tumults, and reflecting in their 
daily walk a peace that the world can not give, then 
religion will become to them attractive and resistless. 
Did the mass of professing Christians live thus, Chris- 
tianity would at once be invested with a beauty, dig- 
nity, and impressiveness which are now unknown. 

Christian brother, repent of thy past sadness, and 
the harm you have thereby done, and cheer up. Has 
not thy God done enough and promised enough to 
shame thee out of thy gloomy fears, and induce thee 
to take down thy harp and commence the transport- 
ing song ? Jesus Christ atoned for thy sins, and 
through Him thou hast a hope of forgiveness. Is 
there any thing in this repressing and dispiriting to 
thee ? For thee, death has been abolished, hell con- 
quered, and heaven purchased. For thy good, God 
has pledged that all things shall work together. For 
thy weal, He marshals the three great kingdoms of 



IN THE CI-imSTIAN CHARACTER. 41 

nature, providence, and grace. In all tliis is there 
any thing to render thee melancholy ? N"o, Christian 
brother ! by thy unhappiness thou art wronging thy 
Saviour, thy religion, thyself, and the world. Only 
just come up to thy duty and high privilege, and make 
full proof of the blissful power of the gospel, and thou 
wilt do more to spread our Lord's empire than all our 
books and sermons can do. 

6. Another marked defect in the majority of Chris- 
tians of this age is their want of humility. How fully 
and urgently do the Scriptures inculcate trhis virtue as 
an essential part of the religion of Christ ! " God 
resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." 
" Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand 
of God, that He may exalt you in due time." 

And then how strikingly was this grace displayed 
in our Model and Redeemer ! Though no other being 
ever had the same reasons to entertain high opinions 
of himself, yet no one was ever equally humble. Ho 
voluntarily chose the humblest life, the humblest as- 
sociates, the humblest food, the humblest dress, the 
humblest manners, and died the most humiliating 
death. Of himself He said, " I am meek and lowly in 
heart." 

Now, in a good measure these precepts must be 
exemplified, and this trait in Christ's character imi- 
tated by all wlio would wear Christ's name. Some 
things are appendages of religion : others enter into 
and form its core and essence. Such is humilit}^ It 
is as indispensable to scriptural piety as gold is to a 
4* 



42 THE PREVALENT DEFECTS 

guinea, or roundness is to a ball. Indeed it is to the 
other graces what the grass that carpets the jfield is to 
the flowers that here and there gem that field. Hence 
the admonition, " Be ye clothed (or robed) with hu- 
mility." As Demosthenes said of action in oratory, 
so may we say of this grace. It is the first, second, 
and third thing in religion. 

But is this feature of Christ's religion developed in 
the life and conduct of Christians ? No : see how 
some, on account of their genealogy, others on ac- 
count of their wealth, others on account of their ac- 
quirements, others on account of their high social 
position, and others on account of their distinction in 
the church of Christ, are puffed up with pride. How 
ambitious and haughty are many claiming to be the 
ministers of Christ ! How this sin has impaired the 
unity, marred the beauty, and weakened the Zion of 
God ! Will the world adopt Christianity with this 
type of it before them ? They know that such Chris- 
tians contradict their profession and misrepresent tbeir 
Master. In the estimation of sinner as well as of 
saint, the most incongruous of all things is a proud 
Christian. 

Here there must be a reformation. The proud 
must be humbled. The meek and lowly dispositioii 
that was in Christ, and characterized all His early 
saints, must also be in and be exhibited by the disci- 
ples of Christ now, or they will never eftectually carry 
out their high mission. 

7. Another prominent delinquency in the Christian, 



IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER, 43 

character, in its ordinary development, is uncaring 
self-indulgence. The religion of Christ is a self-deny- 
ing, cross-bearing religion. Hear the precepts of 
Christ : " If aay man will come after Me, let him deny 
himself and take up his cross and follow Me." " Who- 
soever he he of you that forsaketh not all that he 
hath, he can not be My disciple." " And wdiosoever 
doth not bear his cross and come after Me, can not 
be My disciple." And this feature of His religion 
Jesus Christ most strikingly exemplified. He preached 
self-denial, and He sacrificed heaven and Himself for 
the world. He requires His disciples to be detached 
from the w^orld ; and He " had not where to lay His 
head." In a word, He preached the cross, and He 
bore it ; and how closely the first Christians trod in 
the self-denying steps of their Master ! Property, 
reputation, personal ease, and friends, they joyfully 
surrendered for Christ. They counted all things but 
loss for Him and His salvation. They gave them- 
selves to Him who gave Himself /or them. 

Now there are thousands of modern professors who 
can not help knowing that in this essential particu- 
lar, their manner of living is utterly unlike that of 
Christ and His primitive followers. The mass of pro- 
fessors live for self-indulgence and self-advancement. 
They seem determined not to incumber themselves 
with more relio;ion than will allow them to take the 
world along with them to heaven. 

The religion that many have, costs them nothing. 
This type of piety is as easy as it is fashionable. " It 



44 THE PREVALENT DEFECTS 

consists in belonging to some fashionable denomina- 
tion, and in showing a zeal for its peculiarities, in 
taking a part in the leading controversies of the day, 
in buying popular religious books as fast as they 
come out, subscribing to religious societie.^, attend- 
inor church on Sabbath, and in discussiuor the merits 
of 23reachers. All this is easy. Such attainments 
do not now make one singular. They require no sac- 
rifice. They entail no cross." Theii' rehgion is ex- 
ceedingly convenient. They forego no comforts for 
Christ. They have no anxieties of soul for the good 
of Zion. Thev give only what they can conveniently 
spare. The amount of their contributions to the va- 
rious claims of the gospel is less than they expend for 
some useless luxury. They have no realizing sense 
that they and all they have belong to Christ. Their 
cares extend not beyond their own i interests. Them- 
selves and their families form the center of all their 
affections and aims. True, they lead regular lives, 
but they make no more self-denials than if they were 
infidels. They are prodigal in expenditures on the 
gratification of their personal, domestic, and social 
tastes, but have nothing to give to spread the gospel 
and honor Chnst. 

And are such indeed the disciples of the self-deny- 
ing Redeemer? If the very core of religion consists 
in subjecting self-interests to the glory of God, in liv- 
inor unto Christ, and not unto ourselves, then is it 
not as improper to call self-seekers Christians, as self- 
murdoi'ers ? In all God's Book has any one ever 



IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 45 

read of a covetous, self-indulgent Christian ? Have 
not tlie cliurclies been incumbered and weakened 
long enougii with professors, who dream they can go 
to heaven without paying tribute to our divine King ? 
From such professors the cause of Christ gains noth- 
ing and loses much. Thej misrepresent the Saviour, 
mislead their children, discourage their brethren, and 
harden into hopeless impenitence, mankind around 
them. Alas, this is not the day for self-denying, de- 
voted Christians ! It is a day of too much prosper- 
ity. O for another great reformation ! 

8. Another defect in the common type of religion, 
is inactivity. God never intended any servant of His, 
in any kingdom or rank, to be idle. Jesus Christ, 
our great model, did not sit down in Jerusalem and 
require those who needed His salvation to seek Him 
out and wait His convenience ; but with a holy in- 
dustry He went about doing good. Here, teaching 
the ignorant, yonder, soothing the sorrowing, pardon- 
ing the guilty, and saving the lost. To-day, preach- 
ing the Sermon on the Mount, to-morrow, meeting by 
the way-side, and giving sight to a blind Bartimeus ; 
the next day restoring mind to a poor maniac, and 
sending him home to bless his family ; now, raising 
the dead, casting out devils and healing the diseased ; 
anon, mingling His tears with the afflicted. With a 
zeal as steady as time, with a perseverance that no 
opposition could turn aside, and with a singleness of 
purpose that neither men nor devils could frustrate 
or discourage, He continued to preach, pray, and 



46 THE PREVALENT DEFECTS 

travel, to reclaim the depraved, to deliver the op- 
pressed, elevate the down-trodden, and comfort the 
distressed, till He finished His work on the cross. 
And how closely did the first disciples follow the ex- 
ample of their Master in this respect ! In that day 
there w^ere no lounging idlers in the vineyard. Not 
the apostles only, but private Christians of both sexes, 
exerted their powders, mortal and immortal, in carry- 
ing out the commission of their ascended Lord. 
Though in the way of executing their Master's work, 
power lifted up her arm, authority promulgated her 
edicts, bigotry mustered her hosts, intolerance pointed 
her enmity, and persecution opened her dungeons, 
forged her fetters, reared her gibbets, and kindled her 
martyr fires ; these high-souled heroes of the cross 
addressed themselves to the work of Christ, and bore 
the burden and heat of the day till life's sun went 
down, and the morning of a brighter w^orld dawned 
on them. They attempted to do, and did for Christ 
what Alexander, Caesar, and Bonaparte attempted to 
do in war, viz. : conquer the world. How rightly is 
one book in the Bible called, not the creed, not the 
joys, but the " acts of the apostles !" " Acts" so united, 
self-denying, daring, and persevering, that in a few 
years they filled the whole Eoman empire with the 
sound of salvation. Action ! action ! for Him that 
died for us and rose again, w^as their life-long motto, 
They were Christians indeed. Heaven and earth ac- 
knowledged them such. Had the same mind to 
work been in all subsequent Christians, long before 



IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 47 

this, the millennium would have dawned on this dark 
world. 

But alas ! most of the Christians that have lived 
since, have been engaged about almost every thing 
else, rather than fulfilling the unrevoked command ol 
their Lord, to exert themselves in conveying the gos- 
pel to eyevj creature. It has been nearly eighteen 
centuries siiice the first Christians fell asleep, and with 
here and there some exceptions, there has not been, 
until of late, any thing like systematic, combined 
eff^ort to convert the world to Christ ; and even now in 
this nge, peculiarly marked by activity in every depart- 
ment of en;erpri,:e, the great mc'ijority of Christians in 
all denominations are absorbed in other business than 
that which brought the Son of God into our world, 
and vv^hich He has, by express command, committed 
to His disciples of all generations.'''' It is only the 
few that have a mind to work. Perhaps nine-tenths 
of the avowed friends of the Eedeemer have com- 
mitted the Imi'tful mistake of makinor their relio^ion 
consist in sound creeds and joyful frames. Their in- 
quiry has been. Lord, what wilt Thou have us know, 
hear, re:^d, enjoy, believe, and talk of? not. What wilt 
Thou have us do? Now this deficiency greatly less- 
ens the power of the Christian character. 

For personal exertions in the cause of Clirist there 
can be no compensation. To be a New Testament 
Christian it is not enough to possess and display the 
passive virtues, such as meekness?, gentleness, patience, 

* Dr. Skinner. 



48 TEE PREVALENT DEFECTS 

and affectionateness. Every Cbristian is bound, in 
addition to being sonnd in the faith and consistent in 
life, to do all he can, by bis band, bis mind, bis voice, 
and estate, to spread tbe empire of bis Redeemer. 
What is a full definition of Bible rebgion ? It does 
not^ according to one apostle, consist in ^^vorks without 
faith ; nor, according to another apostle, does it con- 
sist in faitb witbout works ; but it does, according to 
all the apostles and tbe Lord of apostles, consist in the 
faitb that justifies tbe soul before God, followed by the 
works that justify faitb before men. 

There is perhaps with tbe professing world enough 
religion in principle to convert tbe world speedily, if 
it were only developed in personal, vigorous, self-de- 
nying effort to grow in grace and impart grace. Tbe 
unbelief of the world will never be overcome until tbe 
doctrines of our religion assert themselves in deeds of 
goodness. Tbe awful verities that men are depraved 
and exposed to an endless bell, — that Christ died to 
save them, — that they must repent and believe before 
they die, or spend their eternity in penal flames, must 
be exhibited not only in our creeds, sermons, and 
books, but in ceaseless personal efforts to avert from 
ourselves and otbers the doom that awaits tbe irreli- 
gious. 

There are Christians enough in tbe world to place 
Christianity in tbe ascendant, if they all would only 
go out of themselves in efforts to enthrone Christ in 
the hearts of otbers. If all w'ere as laborious for 
Christ as a few have been, in less than a century the 



IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 49 

entire race would be brouofljt to the knowledo^e of 
Christ. If all the visible hosts of Zion would, after 
the pattern and standard of primitive times, leave the 
shady recesses of sloth and go abroad in the habita- 
tions of men and exert themselves for God and souls, 
the millennium would at once commence dawninor. 
If some man would rise up and bring about a second 
great reformation, by which all the friends of Christ 
could be induced to do what they can for Chiist, he 
would accomplish a work that would accomplish 
more for God's glory and the world's good, than the 
Reformation of the sixteenth century ; and yet this 
must be done, or the vast masses will never be turned 
from the dark way of perdition. Our religion must 
become incarnated, and take the form of action, or 
the world will never be impressed deeply with its 
divinity and importance. 

9. Another defect in most Christians, is their want 
of symmetry ; or^ their one-sidedness, Christianity, as 
it shines upon the pages of the Bible, is a perfect sys- 
tem. And how harmoniously perfect was religion in 
the life and character of Christ ! When you con- 
template the character of the blessed Redeemer, you see 
no one excellency standing out in undue prominence. 
His character is the loveliness of one perfect whole. 
All beauty, all w^orth, all excellences, are so blended and 
intershaded with the rest, that the more wo study Ilis 
character, the more are we impressed with its unity. 

But in the present generation of His disciples, we 
see in but few, any approximation to this feature of 

5 



50 THE PREVALENT DEFECTS 

His character. In tlie great majority you will see 
some one or more of the Christian's traits, and be at 
the same time struck with the palpable absence of 
others. In some respects they seem to be very relig- 
ious ; but in other respects they are very irreligious. 
Grace seems to have been at work on some parts of 
their nature, but on other parts of it there is seen no 
signs of its operation. They are better persons as it 
regards some things ; but with regard to others, there 
is no improvement. In some of their connections 
they serve God and reflect His truth; but in other 
relations equally important, they serve another mas- 
ter, and reflect his dark image. 

Here is a disciple who seems to be devotional, con- 
verses well on the subject of religion, and prays well ; 
but to all around him he is manifestly avaricious. 
He is so eager to get rich that he will grind the face 
of the poor. Of him the world scornfully say : He 
may be a Christian, but he is a very grasping one. 
Here is a second: he is liberal; he willingly and 
cheerfully honors the Lord with his substance, but 
he does his business loosely ; often fails to fulfill his 
word. Of him, the keen-eyed world sarcastically 
say : He may have piety, but he is not honest. He 
may render unto God the things that are God's, but 
he does not render unto man the things that are 
man's. Here is a third, who is a model of integrity, 
diligence, and uprightness ; but there is one serious 
blot on his escutcheon : he is proud, obstinate, and 
self-willed. Of him, his neighbors say : He may be '^ 



IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 51 

Christian, but tie is a very ill-natured, crabbed, chur- 
lish one. Here is another, who is humble, meek, and 
unassuming; but in his Christian character there is 
one glaring inconsistency, on which, like the falling 
star, the green-eyed world fix their attention, and 
make the occasion of stumbling ; both in worldly and 
I'eligious matters he is exceedingly indolent. Here 
is another, who, in all his relations, is active and per- 
severino^, but there is one hurtful drawback : he has 
an unamiable temper, and an ungovernable tongue. 
He a Christian ? say some ; why he is a tyi*ant in his 
household ! Here is another, who is amiable and 
gentle, but there is one dereliction that greatly less- 
ens his influence : he is inclined to be light and 
trifling in his conversation. His deficiency in gravity 
renders him powerless for good. 

Before leaving the prevalent deficiencies in the 
Christian character, it may be well to point out the 
causes of this disproportion ateness in the develop- 
ment of our faith. Many of these defects are pro- 
duced by the partial and distorted exhibitions of the 
Christian system that are given in the creeds, ser- 
mons, and books of the diflerent Sects. Few, if any, 
in this day, teach and urge a whole gospel. None 
inculcate the doctrines and duties of our relio:ion in 
the same relative position and importance that they 
occupy in the New Testament. Each age, denomi- 
nation, and preacher, has a favorite theme. Vitally 
important as the great doctrine of justification by 
faith alone in the merits of Christ is, it may be well 



62 THE PREVALENT DEFECTS 

questioned, whether the whole Protestant ministry, 
in opposing the Popish error of salvation by works, 
have not depreciated works from the prominence they 
have in the Scriptures. AYhich of our standard 
books on theology exhibit works as fully, as the 
evidence and development of faitb, as they are set 
forth in the teachii^.gs of ChrisL and His apostles ? 
The effect of such teaching has been that some have 
been made Antinomians in theory, and thousands in 
practice. ]SJ"ot that the Reformers of the sixteenth 
century made too much of justification before God, 
without the works of the law, but they said too little 
of justification before men, by works. Paul's method 
of justification has been all, and in all, while that of 
the Apostle James has been ignored ; and Iience the 
bad practical effect on the lives of Protestant Chris- 
tians. Trinitarians, in their opposition to the Unita- 
rian heresy, have, in effect, dissevered Christ, the 
atoning Priest, from Christ the exemplar. The New 
Testament develops Christ's religion as consisting of 
faith in His atoning death, and imitation of His per- 
fect character. But how deplorably is the latter fea- 
ture of Christ overlooked by the evangelical pulpit 
and press ! Hundreds of books have been written 
on Chiist, as an atoning sacrifice; in all our long list 
of good books is there one formally on Christ the 
model ? Sabbath after Sabbath our pulpits resound 
with sermons on the cross ; and this is infinitely im- 
portant. Woe to the world when a vicarious Calvary 
ceases to be the central truth of all our preaching 



IN THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 53 

and writing. But liow comparatively seldom is Christ 
preached as a Pattern ! Now the counterpart eiFect 
of all this has been to make Christians more like 
Christ in their sentiments and feelings, than in their 
life and conduct. Some confine their ministry to the 
comforting aspects of the gospel, and the tendency of 
their preaching has been to make their people mere 
insulated pietists ; mere religious epicures, whose 
only concern is to enjoy themselves, and get to heaven 
when they die. Others dwell almost exclusively on 
the doctrines of the gospel, aiming to lay well the 
foundation of the sinner's peace with God ; and the 
tendency of their ministry is most excellent, as far as 
it goes ; but the effect is only to Christianize the hearer 
in one of his great relations. Such do not preach 
a broad, full gospel ; and hence the corresponding 
incompleteness in the religion of those they train. 
Others, again, regard the gospel as a system of prac- 
tical benevolence ; nothing, in their estimation, is 
religion that does not take the form of alms-deeds, 
and efforts to elevate the poor and down-trodden. 
Others again have their hearts set on the conversion 
of the heathen. This enterprise so engrosses their 
thoughts, so fills the field of their vision, that they 
regard nothing as genuine, practical religion, but ex- 
ertions for the diftusion of the gospel ; and others, 
again, regard the gospel as a sort of socializing, civil- 
izing device, and according to their views, the highest 
type of Christianity is to battle with, and swxep away 
social and political evils ; though, in so doing, they 
5^ 



54 THE PREVALENT DEFECTS, ETC. 

sweep away their nation's Constitution, and tear up 
the very foundation of society. 

Now, all such views of Christ's religion tend great- 
ly to misrepresent and injure it ; and they tend to 
make one-sided, defective Christians. 



CHAPTEH III. 

SOME OF THE PARTICULARS IN WHICH THE RELIGION 
OF CHRIST MUST BE EXHIBITED IN ORDER TO 
EVINCE ITS DIVINITY, AND INDUCE MANKIND TO 
EMBRACE IT. 

Nothing is more important to the lost world in 
wliicli we live, than that the friends of Christ should 
be in reality and in appearance entirely religious. To 
be the salt of the earth and the lights of the world, 
we must be religious in all tbe aspects of our charac- 
ters. The whole man must be so completely trans- 
formed that every beholder, from the many stand- 
points around us, may see in us the image of Christ. 
The piety that genuine faith tends to produce, and 
which the world more than any thing else needs, like 
a thread of gold, must be worked into the entire web 
of life. It must nowhere be gathered into unseemly 
blotches, but be suffused over the whole character, 
shedding ov^er the entire man the hues and bloom of 
spiritual life. The ^vhole lovely group of the graces 
of the Spirit must be displayed in due relation and 
prominence. No one can be spared without impair- 
ing the Christian's beauty and lessening his moral 
power. In the healthy child there is an expansion of 
all the parts of the body. The arms do not grow 
while the legs remain stationary. So it is with the 



56 PARTICULARS IN WHICH 

scriptural, iDfluential Christian. No duty is neglected, 
no virtue is cultivated to tlie omission of other virtues. 
There is respect to all God's commandments, and 
every false way is lialcd. 

The type of religion that is now needed does not 
consist in the belief of a few doctrines and in the per- 
formance of a few duties, but in believing tlie vrliole 
gospel, and in the avoidance of all that it forbids, and 
in doing all that it enjoins. The principles of grace 
must pervade, subordinate, and vitalize all our thoughts, 
feelings, words and deeds. In fine, in all cur relations, 
conditions, connections, and circumstances, we must 
act Christianly. Whether on Sabbath or week day — 
when we are busiest and when we are idlest — whether 
in society or in solitude — w^hether we are gU;d or sad 
— whether we toil or rest, we must act out the leligion 
of Christ. 

Let us then specify some of the relations in which 
our religion must be developed in order to convince 
and draw men to Christ. 

1. For the glory of Christ, the good of His people, 
and the conversion of the world, the church has been 
organized. Now first in order of time our religious 
principle must appear in a puhlic identification with 
the redeemed of the Lord, If Christ has a standard 
on earth, reason demands that all who are Ilisfi lends 
should rally around that standard. The idea of being 
a concealed f.iend of Chiist is rebuked by all God's 
works and the plain teaching of the Scriptures. The 
divine plan is, that we first, by repentance toward God 



RELIGION MUST BE EXHIBITED. 57 

and faith in Jesiis Christ, become inwardly and essen- 
tially religious, and then appear so by being baptized 
and receiving the Lord's Supper. What is religion ? 
It is to believe in Jesus Christ witli all the heart, and 
then confess Him in His own appointed way. That 
appointed way is baptism. In this way our change 
of state and nature, our love to Christ and purpose to 
come under His government and live for His glory, 
are formally professed and avowed before three worlds. 
Baptism is faith's first development. In it we sym- 
bolically die to sin, and rise to newness of life. It is 
a most important era in the behever's life — a bright 
spot in his retrospect, hallowing the time and place 
that witnessed it, bringing him under the mcst weighty 
and sacred obligations to abjure the world and be 
Christ-like. A scriptural baptism not only strength- 
ens the graces of the subject, but deeply impresses the 
irrelio'ious beholder. Hundreds have been won to 
Christ by it. It is the blessed gospel symbolized and 
made tangible, that it may enhghten the mind and 
affect the heart through the avenue of the eye. It is 
eminently religious and eminently auspicious. If all 
who thus avow their faith would live the life they in 
this ordinance so solemnly pledge to live, the reign 
of Christ would soon be victorious and complete. 
Plence the development of our faith in our church re- 
lations implies much more than being baptized and 
partakhig of, the Lord's Supper. These are but the 
visible commencement of Christian discipleship. Our 
religion is furthermore to appear in the church by a 



58 PARTICULARS IX WHICH 

punctual, prayerful attendance on the ministry of the 
Word, in meeting witli the saints for prayer, praise, 
consultation, and discipline ; in giving of our sub 
stance to spread the gospel at home and abroad — ^for 
giving is as much an element of Christ's reHgion as 
praying ; in loving, admonishing, guarding, sympa- 
thizing with, and provoking unto good works all the 
family of Christ around us ; in contending for and 
maintaining the faith once delivered to the saints ; in 
striving for the harmony, peace, purity, and increase 
of the brotherhood ; in efforts to diffuse the gospel in 
one's own community and through all the world ; in 
praying for and teaching the rising generation ; and 
in efforts to convert those who are without. 

Now, all this is the gospel in practice in one of our 
great and most important relations. These church 
duties and privileges, as far as they go, are the tri- 
umphs of the Christian principle in the human life. 
They are one great phase of the religion that honors 
Christ and saves the world. A church composed of 
such members is Christianity, in one of its great de- 
signs, in operation. Thus far such a people are wit- 
nesses for Christ, impersonations of the truth, and 
the light of the world. 

But membership in the church alters none of the 
real relations of hfe. By going into the kingdom of 
Christ, we do not go out of the world. Our natural 
relations remain the same ; and it is just as important 
that we should act Christianlv in these relations as it 
is that we should be Christ-like in the church. Many 



RELIGION MUST BE EXHIBITED. 59 

reo-ard their relio-ion as a sort of a sacred church af- 
fair — a robe too iiae to be worn in the ordinary trans- 
actions of life. They lay it away for Sabbaths, revi- 
vals, and ceremonial occasions. When these are over, 
they merge the Christian into the man of the world. 
This is a most hurtful and wide-spread mistake. It 
leaves three-fourths of the character unreclaimed to 
Christ. It blots and rends the robe of our profession. 
He who acts out his religious principles only as a 
member of the church, not only inflicts a deep injury 
on that church, but renders himself powerless with 
the unbelievers around him. It is comparatively easy 
to be religious in our church relations. It is outside 
of Zion that we have to fight the hardest and most 
important battles for Christ. To be religious in our 
every-day life and business — to be spiiitually-minded 
and consistent amid the distractions of a family — to 
be holy amid the perplexing cares of a farm — to be 
God-feaiing amid the fashions, laws, and false cus- 
toms of those with whom we must minirle — to exhibit 
the light of a religious example amid the persecutions 
to which those ^vho are godly will be subjected — to 
abide with God in our calling — to be governed by 
and display the Christian principle in all the jostlings 
and collisions of our pecuniary interests — to be a New 
Testament Chiistian in the shop, the store, the manu- 
factory, the s(diool-room, and on the court green, is 
the great diHipulty in our Christian calling; and yet 
the regulating, sanctifying principles of the gospel 
must go with and control us in all these secular voca- 



60 PARTICULARS IN WHICH 

tioiis and duties, or better for us and the cause of 
Christ, that we had never professed religion. 

2. For the world's good, God has ordained the 
family relation. It is the oldest and most useful 
of all societies. In this relation our faith in Christ 
must develop itself. Of all other connections it is 
most important that we exi libit religion in this. But 
faith has not produced its legitimate effect in this far- 
reaching relation. There is a great deficiency in fam- 
ily religion. The domestic aspect of many a profess- 
ing character, is unchristianized. Abroad, before the 
w^orld, on great occasions, there are many v/hose relig- 
ious example shines brightly, but at home it flickers 
into extinction. Many parents, who are valuable 
members of the church, are positively irreligious in 
the family sphere ; by yielding to little temptations, 
they destroy tiieir religious influence over those whom 
God requires them to train for usefulness and heaven. 
Like the elephant whose skin can resist the force of 
the musket-ball, but is goaded to madness by the 
sting of the musquito, there are many who mani- 
fest their religion by resisting great temptations, and 
bearing great afflictions, and yet allow themselves to 
be provoked by the ordinary petty trials and difficul- 
ties of their family affairs, into habitual irreligion of 
temper and conduct. They unmurmuiingly bury 
their dead, and wiUingly do much for the cause of 
Christ abroad, and yet permit the little inequalities 
of children and servants to keep them so crabbed, 
unkind, and irritable, that they neutrahze all the 



RELIGION MUST BE EXHIBITED. 61 

good the J would otherwise do. This is acting in 
religion, as the farmer would act who, in attennpting 
to prevent inundations, should dike the high points, 
and leave the ravines unguarded. In vain may such 
parents teach and pray for the conversion of their 
household. Children are far more likely to practice 
what their parents do, than what they say. They are 
more influenced by the eye than by the ear. It would 
be infinitely better for the youth of some families if 
they saw more religion and heard less. We strongly 
advocate preceptive religion in parents ; but this with- 
out the ratification of example, is worse than power- 
less. Without the invincible grace of God the chil- 
dren who are only plied with precept, will become 
hardened in irreligion, die in their sins, and ia eter- 
nity upbraid their parents for their ruin. 

There are thousands of cogent motives that urge 
the exemplification of Christ's religion in the family 
circle. Nowhere else will piety tell so extensively. 
The friends of Christ move in no other sj)here w^here 
there are so many probabihties that their religious 
example will be imitated, multiplied, and perpetuated. 
Seeing religion displayed by those who are so near 
to them, by those whose influence ovei* them is so 
boundless, witnessing religion exemplified when their 
natures are so tender, plaslic, and imitative, there is a 
moral certainty that such children will receive relig- 
ious impressions, deep and ineffaceable. Just as 
pride, covetousness, ambition, intemperance, and jko- 
fanity^ in parents, poison human nature in its foun- 
6 



02 PARTICULARS IX TTHICH 

tain, corrupt the stream of life, and send forward a 
tide of resistless evil to perdiiion's stormy lake ; so, 
on the other hand, religious precept and example, 
emanating from the same source, will mingle with 
and transform the elements of youthful nature before 
they flow into the stream of fixed habits, and thus 
put in motion a train of religious influences that will 
be diffused through all time, survive the resurrection 
trumpet, and augment, through eternity, the number 
and bliss of the redeemei. Parents, more than any 
other being, save God, have the molding of the ma- 
terials that are to make the nation and compose the 
church. To the greatest earthly extent, they have in 
their hands the destinies of their oflspiing for botb 
worlds. Their casual words and acts will live on for- 
ever in their effects. 

Parents, ponder your every step. You live at the 
fountains of influence. Your every movement touch 
chords that vibrate through eternity. With a Chris- 
tian's name, be iiTeligious, and the writer would not 
take your place at the bar of God for ten thousand 
worlds. The ranks of darkness wilL regard you as 
one of their successful allies. They will exult over 
your work of destruction. You will, in an increasing 
ratio, make the life of many miserable, and their per- 
dition doubly sure. But in God's strength be con- 
sistently and strikingly religious in your households, 
and you will make a mark that will last long after 
the globe shall have been melted down by the last 
conflagration. You will deposit in the virgin soil of 



RELIGION MUST BE EXHIBITED. 63 

your child ren's souls tlie good seed of the kingdom, 
which, after you are in heaven, if not before, will pro- 
duce the fruit of conv^ersion to God, and usefulness to 
man. Exemplify before the children that God has 
given you, the religion you profess, and your influ- 
ence will be felt in the prosperity, perpetuity, and, 
glory of jour great republic, and in furnishing the 
church of Christ with well trained members. In fine, 
the welfare of our country, and of the church, the 
glory of God, the salvation of our children, anl, 
through them, of the world, all combine with the 
weight of a thousand worlds, to urge every parent to 
let the light of practical godliness shine on steadily 
in the family circle. If paients would have their 
children grow up in "■ the nurture and admonition of 
the Lord," and convert their households into nur- 
series for the church and for heaven, then it is not 
enough for them to talk and profess religion, but they 
must constantly be and appear religious in their man- 
ner of living. What parents are and seem to be, will 
daguerreotype itself deeply in their children. 

"Alas for a thousand fathers whose indalgent sloth 

Hath emptied the vial of confusion o'er a thousand homes ; 

Alas for the palaces and hovels that might have been nurs- 
eries of heaven, 

But which worldliness has blighted into schools of hell. 

A kindness most unkind, that hath always spared the rod ; 

A w^eak and humbling indecision in the mind - that should bo 
master ; 

A foohsh love, pregnant of hate, that never frowned on sin; 

A moral cowardice of heart that never dares command. 



64 PARTICULARS IN WHICH 

A house where the master ruleth is strong in united subjec- 
tion, 

And the only commandment with promise, being honored, is 
a blessing to that house. 

But if he yieldeth up the reins, it is weak in discordant 
anarchy, 

And the bonds of love and union melt away as ropes of 
sand." 

3. We sustain social as well as family relations. 
From instioct, and for pleasure and profit, we meet 
and mingle with each other. Hence^ our i^eligion loill 
he incomplete and uninjiuential unless it is developed 
in the social circle. Social piety is growing obsolete. 
From this most important sphere, practical religion 
is fast being excluded. The public opinion of tins 
refined age is just as effectually banishing practical 
godhness from the ordinary intercourse of society, as 
the profession of it was banished from Rome by the 
edicts of Claudius. Over the social department of 
life the world exercises an exclusive, stern, and des- 
potic sway. It will allow you to profess religion, and 
be as devout as you choose in your religious observ- 
ances ; but the moment you enter the social pale, it 
requires you to abjure your religious profession and 
adopt its modes, obey its maxims, speak its language, 
cultivate its temper, and be the friend of its friends 
and the enemy of its enemies. Should you dissent, 
it will proscribe and excommunicate you from the 
social circle, under the charge of enthusiasm ; and if 
nothing more, it will smite you with its tongue ; and 



RELIGION MUST BE EXHIBITED. 65 

just in this way tlie world is now, as it ever has been, 
a foe to Cbristianily, before which many a professor 
quails and crouches into a silent and sinful timidity, 
and thereb}^ commits the sin of being ashamed of Christ 
before men ; and it requires more courage to rise up 
to the precious singulaiity of confessing Christ in 
this relation of life, than it does to go to a martyr's 
stake. 

Here then is a growiog and mighty evil, and unless 
bold-hearted Christians make a stand Jigainst it, our 
Zion will go into captivity, and the world will be un- 
done. If we compound to lay off the sacred badge 
of our religion when we enter the social sphere, we 
at once surrender to the prince of darkness one oi 
our Lord's outposts, and commit the sin of treason 
against His kingdom. We must take, and maintain 
the social territory for Christ. Woe to the church 
and the world, too, if we retreat from it I Unless 
this great department of life be seasoned with the 
salt of practical religion, its moral corruption will go 
on increasing until Chiis ianity will be compelled to 
abandon ground slie lias already gnined. 

Regardless, then, of the reproaches that may be in- 
curred, uu appalled by the charges of cant and sancti- 
moniousness that may be alleged against us, let us 
bind the scandal of the cross around our brow, and 
exhibit before the world its unutterable glories. Have 
not the friends of Christ the snme right to exhibit 
their I'eligion in social society, that the world have to 
exhibit their irreliuion ? Who is the more wantino- in 
6* 



66 PARTICULARS IN WHICH 

true politeness and refinement, tlie man who, in com- 
mon intercourse, makes no secret of being a disciple of 
Christ, or the man who makes no secret of being an 
infidel ? Some tell us that when before the men of 
the world, our religion should be retiring and unseen. 
But the whole Bible inculcates openness and pub- 
licity in our attachment to Christ. True, Christ re- 
buked ostentation and hypocrisy, but He enjoins the 
manifestation of love to Him before all men, under all 
circumstances, under pain of His displeasure. As 
well say there are times when the sun, moon, and 
stars, should conceal their beams in order not to be 
ostentatious. They were created to shine, and shine 
always. So the light of Christian example should be 
poured forth always on the darkness of a lost world. 
Is it immodest in the stars to shine, in the flowers to 
bloom, and the violet to emit its fragrance ? No more 
is it immodest in the obscurest saint to display before 
men the light of true piety. Paul, John, Luther, 
Hall, Judson, and Payson, were modest men, and 
gentlemen also ; yet their religion formed their char- 
acters ; w^as as manifest in them as the sun blazing on 
the forehead of morning. And then what means 
Christ in saying, " Let your light so shine before men 
that they may see your good works, and glorify your 
Father w^hich is in heaven ?" " He that is ashamed 
of Me, and of My words, before men, of him sljall the 
Son of man be ashamed when He shall come in His 
own glory, and wnth the glory of the Father, and with 
the holy angels." Our faith must show itself in this 



RELIGION MUST BE EXHTBirED. G7 

Side of our life and character, or we shall deny Christ, 
and confirm the world in th^ir unbelief. 

But is it asked how we are to display the religion 
of Christ in this respect? We reply, in nameless 
little things. By speaking evil of no one, by putting 
away all jesting and foolish talking, by never ascrib- 
ing to others a bad motive so long as you can impute 
to them good ones, by discouraging the tattler and 
tale-bearer, by seeking to heal breaches between 
neighbors, by discountenancing all unnecessary and 
dissipating amusements, by meekness, gentleness, 
kindness, sinceiity, simplicity, afFectionateness, pure- 
ness, and cheerfulness, by giving conversation a relig- 
ious turn, by speaking of Christ, His kingdom and 
claims, on all suitable occasions. In this way you 
will shine as liMits in the world — be invested with 

o 

the mild glories of a heavenly deportment — display 
the winning sweetness of a holy example, and thereby 
impress the "beholder not only that your religion is an 
emanation from heaven, but that it is transforming, 
ennobling, and above all things desirable, 

4, But man sustains business as well as social rela- 
tions. Hence our religion must ajopear also in our 
secular transactions, Man was made for society and 
business, as well as for loving God and praying to 
Him in secret. True, the most of our religion has to 
do with God and Christ and ourselves ; but much of 
it regards our fellow-creatures, and can not be exem- 
plified without intermixture and transactions with 
them. One prevalent error is regarding religion as 



68 PARTICULARS IN WHICH 

sometbiDg separate from the common affairs of life. 
Many act on tlie unscriptural and miscliievons maxim 
of '' keeping business in its place, and religion in its." 
Tneii' creed is, that praying, holy thinking, reading, 
and conversation, hearing sermons, communion with 
God, and efforts to do good, are for Sabbat!. s ; but on 
week-days, in the secular transactions of life, these 
things may be laid aside rn.l ignored. Now, never 
was there a greater moral heresy ! 

As in the material world there are no conflicting 
laws, so in the moral world there are no conflicting 
duties. All duties are commanded by God, and are 
in a most important sense religious. God as much 
commands us to w^ork and take care of our temporal 
interests on week-days, as He does that we should 
meet for His worship on Sabbuth. He as much en- 
joins industry, prudence, and economy as He does 
praying, repentance, and faith. He might have ar- 
rano^ed matters otherwisa. He mioht have built us 
houses as He creates the trees, and caused our corn 
and wheat to grow as He does the cockle and tares. 
He might have rained down our food as He did the 
manna of old, clothed us as He does the fowls, and 
educated our children without pains and expense on 
our part. But as this is not His arrangement ; as He 
has ordained that in order to be fed, clothed, and edu- 
cated we must labor ; and inasmuch as He requires 
of us in all things to glorify Him, to " be fervent in 
spirit" as well as " dihgent in business," then it fol-. 
lows that it is His ordinance that His relioion and the 



RELIGION MUST BE EXHIBITED. 69 

business of life should be blended ; and if so, it more- 
over follows that there is no incompatibility between 
the religion of Christ and the avocations of life, foi 
God never requires of His people impossibilities. 
" As the planets accomplish a twofold and simulta- 
neous revolution — one on their axes and one in their 
orbits — and is all done in perfect harmony ; so the 
Christian, by having a calling and abiding with God 
in that calling, may beautifully and simultaneously 
revolve around the great center of God's glory, and 
the center of his worldly interests."* In this way the 
religion of the Bible may be brought down from that 
ethereal, angelic region in which it seems to the men 
of the world to dwell, and assume in the buying, sell- 
ing, trading, bartering affairs of life a tangible, con- 
vincing, winning reality. 

But alas, how irreligious are thousands who wear 
the name of Christ, in the business aspects of their 
characters 1 What selfishness in the management of 
their pecuniary interests ! What violations of the 
golden rule I Some make promises to meet their 
dues only to break them. Some take the advantage 
of the necessities of their neighbors to increase their 
gains. Others evince a disposition to take advantage 
in their bargains and sales. Othei-s fail in business, 
when there are grounds to suspect that falsehood and 
fraud have attended the whole transaction. Others 
borrow money never to return it ; and others, in their 

* Caird. 



To PARTICULARS IN WHICH 

efforts after gain, show a degree of overreaching bor- 
dering on dishonesty. 

[N'ow who needs be told that in this way Christ has 
been deeply wounded in the house of His fiiends, and 
His cause greatly impeded ? It is ^^nth Christians 
secularly that the men of the world have most to do ; 
and many such men, judging Christianity by the in- 
consistent conduct of its friends in this particular, have 
been confirmed in their prejudices and opposition to 
it. Perhaps the pecuniary and commercial inconsis- 
tency of professing Christians is doing more to retard 
the spread of the gospel than any other. Here is 
Zion's chief danger. And verily this will never do. 
Our secular transactions must be Christianized, or the 
church will never carry out her mission. Until the 
friends of the Redeemer put away all wrong-doing in 
their business, until they feel themselves as much bound 
to obey the command " Owe no man any thing," as they 
do to keep the Sabbath and pray in secret, there will still 
remain one mighty stumbling-block in the way of the 
world's conversion. It is our deepest conviction, that 
unless professing Christians can be induced to regu- 
late, subordinate, and control their secular interests 
more by gospel principles, they can never extensively 
and effectually spread the empire of their Lord. This 
blot on our escutcheon is one of the causes of our 
comparative defeat. Let the redeemed, for the sake 
of Christ's honor and the world's salvation, wipe it 
off. Let each one in God's strength determine that 
the Christian shall appear in the man of business. 



RELIGION MUST BE EXHIBITED. 7l 

Evince your religion by not only keeping within the 
precincts of legal obligation, but by avoiding every 
petty unfairness, and by exemplifying whatsoever 
things that are honest and honorable. We earnestly 
plead for a reformation in this direction. Let the 
pure religion of the cross be acted out in this great 
department of life ; let all the men of business take 
God's word for their guide and God's glory for their 
aim ; in all their matters of work and trade, let the 
farmer, mechanic, the merchant, tbe buyer, the seller, 
bring to bear on their avocations the high sanctions 
of Christianity, and not onlj^ will they transmute all 
their duties, their toils, their losses and gains into the 
service of God ; but they will do more in impressing 
those with whom they have to do with the truth and 
importance of religion, than they could do by all theif 
prayers, tears, and admonitions. 

5. We sustain civil and political^ as well as com- 
mercial relations ; hence our religion must appear in 
the citizen as well as in the man of business. Some 
contend that Christians should have nothing to do 
with the affairs of government; that they should 
stand aloof from civil matters, leaving them entirely 
to the manngement of the carnal and worldly. But 
piety of a sublimated ethereal type is useless. Civil 
government is as much an ordinance of God as Bap- 
tism and the Lord's Supper. " The powers that be, 
are ordained of God." Christians are more interested 
in civil affairs than any other part of the community ; 
not only have they, in common with worldly men, 



72 PARTICULARS IN WHICH 

property, families, cliaracters, and bodies, to pro* 
tect ; but civil, necessarily includes religious liberty. 
We know this position lias been greatly misunder- 
stood, and greatly abused. We repudiate all alliance 
between religion and the civil arm, either offensive 
or defensive. Eeliorion asks nothino^ of the State but 
j^rotection in some of its local interests. It thanks 
no magistrate for his officious interference, to force 
men to heaven. Were this simple principle under- 
stood by the Christians of Europe, it would sweep 
away their religious establishments, and give the 
churches there a power and spirituality they have 
never known. Still, patriotism is a Christian virtue. 
We urge on the friends of Christ, a calm, enlightened 
concernment in the political affairs of their country. 
In this age and land, some of our most precious in- 
terests demand it. The history of the w^orld has 
demonstrated that the best forms of government are 
vain without public virtue ; but public virtue is the 
sum of private virtue, and private virtue is the fruit 
of true and efficient religion. Our model form of 
government has in it no inherent vitality. It v/ill be 
efficient just in proportion to the religion and virtue 
of the people whose will it embodies. There are rife, 
among the people of this land, feelings, sectional prej- 
udices, and sentiments, which, if not restrained by 
the conservative power of God's religion, will soon 
sweep away all our parchment barriers and safeguards. 
Inevitable dow^nfall awaits our beloved repubhc, if its 
management be given up to the ungodly,, the wicked. 



RELIGION MUST BE EXHIBITED. 73 

and fanatical. Nothing can secure its perpetuity, 
prosperity, and glory, but the agency of the godly. 

But while we say this much, let us again guard 
against being misunderstood. Patriotism and party- 
ism are two very different things. While we plead 
for the former, as a legitimate and important devel- 
opment of the religion of Christ, we oppose the lat- 
ter, as alike detrimental to Church and State. This 
we say without trenching on any one's political creed. 
What we deprecate, as having done a vast deal in 
bringing Christianity into disrepute, is the many in- 
stances in which professed Christians have become 
clamorous party politicians. 

Hence against noisy political partyism in the dis- 
ciples of Christ, we, in the name of our beloved Zion^ 
enter our solemn protest. We aflSrm that such in- 
jure the cause of their country as much as they do 
the cause of Christ. We say then to all such, do 
heed us while we speak out our earnest impressions 
on this subject. From our present stand-point we 
see clearly the evil of such a course, and the way to 
remedy it. Just let j^i'ofessing Christians become so 
engrossed in politics, as to forsake their church to at- 
tend political meetings, spend their Sabbaths in read- 
ing secular papers instead of their Bibles, discuss poli- 
tics on the way to and from the house of God, and do 
things as members of a party that they would not do 
as individuals, and they will injflict deeper injury on 
the cause of Christ than all the infidels of Christen- 
dom. Such could not take a more effectual way to 



74 PARTICULARS IN WHICH 

destroy the cliurch of Christ, and confirm the kingdom 
of darkness. It is our firm belief that no Christian 
can aid and abet all the measures of either of the 
great political parties of the day, without grieving 
God's Spirit and greatly diminishing his Christian 
influence. 

The point then we urge, is that the politician 
should be merged into the Christian, not the Chris- 
tian into the politician. The glory of God should be 
as distinctly aimed at in the selection of a civil o&- 
cer as in the election of a pastor. Dependence on 
God for success in the aff'airs of State should be as 
distinctly recognized and avowed, as dependence on 
Him for success in the afiairs of the church. The 
disciple of Christ should evince his religion by stand- 
ing aloof from, and repudiating every measure, and 
every candidate for his suftVage, that requires of him, 
either in fact or in appearance, the sacrifice of Chris- 
tian propriety. In all his civil movements the relig- 
ion of Christ should be his guide and companion. 
In the performance of his political duties he should 
act from a sense of reli2:ious obliofation, and with a 
view to his accountability at the great day. In this 
way he will not only most eficctually serve his coun- 
try, but serve his Saviour in serving his country, and 
thereby exhibit to this God-forgetting world a most 
striking proof of the divinity, loveliness, and trans- 
forming power of the religion of Christ. We repeat 
it: woe to our country when its politics shall become 
religionless. 



RELIGION MUST BE EXHIBITED. 75 

6. Christians not only, as we have seen, sustain 
church, domestic, social, commercial, and political 
relations, in all of which they are to manifest their 
religion ; but they also sustain to manJcind at large^ 
moral and benevolent relations^ in which their faith 
must develop itself in effort to save them. All of 
earth's inhabitants are one family. According to the 
teachings of Christ, all, the furtherest off, are our neigh- 
bors. Every man has a claim on every other. God 
has imposed on us an obligation that we can not can- 
cel ; to impart to all, and to each, all the good we can. 
Not to do good to others, is a frustration of the ulte- 
rior end of our existence ; upon the same principle as 
the believer in the hour of his conversion was made 
the subject of the greatest of all blessings, he be- 
comes bound by the most pressing and tender of all 
obligations . to be the medium of those blessings to 
others. It is just as much the duty of each disciple 
to diffuse the gospel, as it was to embrace it. The 
last great command of Christ makes it the main duty 
and high privilege of each and all of His flock to aid 
in the world's conversion. Our very conversion is 
but a means to an end, and that end is the salvation 
of sinners, at home and abroad. We speak scriptur- 
ally when we say that the believer who does not 
somewhere, between his conversion and his death, win 
one sinner to Christ, misses the great end of his re- 
demption. This is a great standing lavv of the new 
dispensation, that can neither be revoked nor evaded. 

This position bein^ admitted, then it follows that 



76 PARTICULARS IN WHICH 

the missionary enterprise is not a modern conception 
engrafted on the religion of Christ, but is as much 
one of the genuine forms and developments of faith 
in Christ, as baptism, prayer, and brotherly love. 
Christ was the great model Missionary ; the apostles 
were misLnonaries ; all the members of the primitive 
churches were missionaries ; the gospel itself is as 
diffusive as the hght of heaven ; and this spirit, Chris- 
tians, in this day, must possess, or they are less than 
the least of all saints, in more senses than one. You 
can not define New Testament rehgion, without in- 
cluding, as one of its essential elements, the mission- 
ary spirit. 

Or look at the matter in another light. The whole 
heathen world are still unconverted. At home, tens 
of thousands are in the deepest ignorance, and are the 
slaves of the vilest sins. Each succeedin^^* wave of 

o 

time bears off millions of the unredeemed to the ever- 
lasting damnation of hell. Christians have the gos- 
pel, the only remedy for this appalling evil. The 
church is the only agent in the universe for conveying 
to the unsaved the gospel, and converting them to 
Christ. Her opportunities for doing so are many and 
multiform. God has so arranged matters that we may 
stay at home, and yet reach and save these dark 
masses as effectually as if they were at our dooi^, 
Now can one be a Christian in the true sense of the 
term, without earnest cares, efforts, and self-denials to 
save the perishing amid such circumstances as these ? 
Is not that man's relif»-ion a mere name, who looks on 



RELIGION MUST BE EXHIBITED. 77 

composedly and sees souls sink down to perdition by 
thousands a day, without putting forth his hands to 
arrest the mighty ruin ? No ; and it is high time 
that Christianity was better understood and acted out. 
The unbelief of men at home will never be overcome 
till Christians, in addition to their faith, abound in 
prayei's and self-denying exertions to spread the em- 
pire of Christ. " A Christian is the highest style of 
man," and a Christ-like missionary is the highest style 
of Christian. The fullest and* most symmetrical em- 
bodiment of the religious principle, the nearest redu- 
plication of Christ's character in our midst, is the man 
who, in addition to his personal holiness, goes out of 
himself in self-denying exertions to save a lost world. 
Never will modern Christians, in any adequate sense, 
represent Christ and His religion till they cease to in- 
sulate themselves from the dying world around them, 
and abandon themselves in zeal and activity for the 
diffusion of the gospel. 

7. But there is one relation we sustain that is more 
vital and res2oonsihle than all others. It is to God, 
He is the source, and must be the object of our relig- 
ion. God in Christ must be in reality and iu ap- 
pearance " all and in all" in our religion. If we act 
out our faith in every earthly relation, and fail in the 
one we sustain to God, we are only moral, and not 
pious. The great bifold command; which is the sum 
of all Bible religion, consists not only in loving our 
neighbor as ourselves, but in loving the Lord our God 
with all our hearts, with all our souls, and all our 
7* 



V8 PARTICULARS IN WHICH 

minds ; and this love must manifest itself in every 
part of our life and religion. Our f^iith must develop 
itself in maintaininsr communion with God throuorh 
the mediation of His Son ; in realizing His presence 
and secretly imploring His mercy, and then our su- 
preme regard for Him must be as manifest as the sun 
in mid-heaven. Has He revealed to us His word ? 
Let our faith in that word and in its Author appear 
by studying it and recommending it to others. Has 
He given His Son to die for us ? Let our love and 
gratitude to Him for His unspeakable gift appear by 
unconditionally embracing His Son in all His offices, 
and in confessing Him before men. Has He a cause 
in the world ? Let us evince our supreme love for 
God by being the avowed, unflinching friends and 
promoters of His great cause. Do we meet those 
who blaspheme His name, vilify His government, and 
caricature His religion ? Let our faith impel us to 
" rise up for Him against evil-doei^, and to stand up 
for Him against the workers of iniquity.^' Is it the 
glory of the soldier to defend his country when it is 
assailed ? and shall not the soldier of the cross rush 
to the battle, and strike for the Lord of glory, when 
His honor is impugned and the standard of defiance 
is waved before His throne ? Has God given you a 
family ? Let your faith in Him and love for Him ber 
evidenced to all around you by teaching your do- 
mestics God's truth, and praying with them morning 
and night. In your household live, pray, and teach 
for God, " And these words, which I command the^ 



RELIGION MUST BE EXHIBITED. 79 

this day, shall be in thine heart : and thou shalt teach 
them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of 
them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou 
walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and 
when thou risest up." Has God appointed you the 
lot of poverty and obscurity ? Prove before the world 
the genuineness of your faith in His sovereign good- 
ness by being contented, neat, economical, and indus- 
trious. Does He take from you possessions and 
friends ? Show your faith in Him by throwing off 
dejection, suppressing discontent, quelling inordinate 
grief, and saying, when your dearest hopes are crushed, 
" The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away : 
blessed be the name of the Lord." This is a nobler 
development of faith in God than going to a martyr's 
stake or speaking with the tongue of an angel. Does 
He send bodily afflictions on you ? Show faith in 
God's power to comfort and sustain, by being patient, 
serene, and unmurmuring. What eloquent witnesses 
such are for God ! How they glorify Him in the 
fires ! What a testimony do they bear to the power 
of His grace and the comforts of His Spirit ! The 
inference the beholder must draw when he sees this 
tangible evidence that God can sustain His people 
when earthly supports give way, and refresh, them 
when creature-consolation is dried up, is that the relig- 
ion of God is beyond all doubt infinitely important, 
and ought to be embraced. When I have turned 
away from such a submissive sufferer, T have said, I 
have read the religion of Christ in the New Testa- 



80 PARTICULARS IN WHICH 

ment ; I Lave preached it ; but I have now seen it 
unmistakably verified. And I have felt like saying to 
every unbeliever, Come, see how God sustains His 
people in time of trial, and doubt if you can. It is, 
moreover, our duty to bear testimony for God in our 
manner of dyioo; as well as in our manner of living. 
It is the last time we can do any thing for God's 
glory and the good of our generation. A triumphant 
death often does more for God and His cause than all 
our books, sermons, and admonitions can do. Many 
skeptics have been won to Christ by the dying looks 
and words of the saints, who had been proof against 
all the other appliances of grace. The evidence that 
such a death furnishes for the divinity of Christianity 
is too tangible and plain to be denied, and too solemn 
to be ridiculed. Such a death forces the beholder to 
conclude that the Master who can thus comfort, en- 
courcnge, and support His people amid the agonies of 
death, ought to be loved and served — that the religion 
that can produce, in the trying article of nature's dis- 
solution, such serenity, resignation, and triumph, ought 
from every principle of self-love and gratitude to be 
embraced. So live, then, that in dying your religion 
may thus bring glory to your God and good to your 
friends. 

Now the man who in all his religious and worldly 
duties, in all his plans and afflictions, shows a supreme 
regard for the will of God, does more in effecting the 
conversion of the ungodly than by any other means 
he could use. 



RELIGION MUST BE EXHIBITED. 81 

8. In order to be manifesthj the epistles of Christ, 
known and read of all men, there is one other par- 
ticular in which the light of our godliness must shine. 
We have seen that we sustain relations, and ow^e 
duties to the church, to our families, to the world, 
socially, jDecuniarily, politically, and religiously, and 
primarily to God, as our Creator, Judge, and Re* 
deemer ; in all of which the religious principle must 
develop and discover itself. But w^e sustain relations 
and owe duties to ourselves ; and hence our religion 
will be incomplete and inefficacious, unless ive cherish 
anxieties^ and 'put forth efforts to save our oion souls. 
Piety, in every other respect, will not compensate for 
the want of it, in this. Discharging our duties to all 
others, in all respects, will not make amends for the 
neglect of our own soul's mighty interests. We are 
to love our neighbor as, but not moj^e than ourselves. 
In this day of effort for the diffusion of Christianity, 
we have declined in personal religion. Our gospel 
has lost, perhaps, as much at home as it has gained 
abroad. But our religion can not gain and maintain 
breadth without depth. The only way by which the 
gospel can save the race, is by commencing with the 
individual heart and character, and working outward. 
We can not, upon the whole, do much in converting 
the world, without, at the same time, giving all dili- 
gence to make our own calling and election sure. 
The most effectual method of building up the wall 
around our Jerusalem, is to build it up before our own 



82 PARTICULARS IN WHICH 

door. The only way to make liberal expenditures, is 
to secure large spiritual receipts. 

There is a most important sense in which the sal- 
vation of the world depends upon our sympathies, 
prayers, and contributions in its behalf; and there is 
another sense equally as important, in which the world's 
conversion depends upon anxieties, prayers, watch- 
fulness, and toils, in our own behalf. In other words, 
not only does our own admission into Paradise depend 
upon our being individually and thoroughly religious, 
but all the ajDpliances for bringing this revolted world 
back to God, depend, also, on personal piety. The 
individual, isolated man must, in all his tempers, 
words, indulgences, and habits, be sanctified and con- 
trolled by the principles of grace, or the door of 
heaven and the door of the sinner's heart will be bar- 
red against him. The religion that saves us, and 
through us, the world, must not be an ecclesiastical, or 
a corporate, or a social, but a personal transaction be- 
tween the individual and his God. An attempt to 
make any thing else compensate for personal holiness, 
will ruin our own souls and block up the world's way 
to Christ. 

Now, the religion that appears in these eight par- 
ticulars, is the religion that Jesus Christ requires us 
to possess and manifest. It is a religion that, having 
adjusted our relations to God, united us to Christ, and 
changed our natures, must then regulate our every 
employment, sanctify our every connection, give tone 
to our every duty, and direction to our every action. 



RELIGION MUST BE EXHIBITED. 83 

It must give form and power to all man is, says, and 
does. The religion that saves beyond the grave, and 
of which the world stands in crying need, is that in- 
ward transforming principle that regulates the parent 
in his family, the master with his servant, the mer- 
chant in his store, the lawyer in his office, the physi- 
cian by the sick-bed, the sailor on the deck, and the 
soldier in the battle-field. 

This is the religion of the ISTew Testament. In the 
hour of your conversion and baptism, you put on the 
snow-wbite robe of Christianity. Lay it not off* when 
you leave the house of God on Sabbath. All seam- 
less and shining with heavenly beauty, let it invest 
you while in the family circle. Clad in it as your 
glory and your hope mingle in society. Keep it on, 
and keep it unspotted from the world in all your sec- 
ular and civil transactions. Your baptismal vow, the 
glory of God, and the salvation of the world, require 
you to li ve thus. " Keep thyself pure" and thou wilt 
not live in vain. 



CHAPTER lY. 

HOTV EXEMPLIFIED RELIGION EFFECTS THE CONVER- 
SION OF MANKIND. 

1 It catches their attention. In every tiling, man- 
kind are impressed by facts, not by tbeoiies. It is by 
wbat men see and meet with in life, tbat tbey are 
impressed, rather than by what they hear and read. 
Now the incarnation, the death, resurrection, ascen- 
sion, and dominion of Christ, is Christianity in theo- 
ry. True, in themselves, these are the most affecting 
and important of all subjects ; yet to man, buried in 
the things of time and sense, they are not only repul- 
sive, but, to a great degree, antiquated and mystic 
abstractions. After all our books and sermons, it is 
wonderful how little the world around us are inter- 
ested in the great facts and doctrines of the gospel. 
These great soul-saving verities are out of the range 
of their observation and sympathy. The fact that 
God has given the world His word to teach them. 
His Son to atone for them, and His Spirit to sanctify 
them, are themes about which the mass of this god- 
less race think but little, and care less. 

Now, the first step in awakening the irreligious, is 
to interest and impress them with the truths of the 
gospel. This, from the nature of the mind, can not 



EFFECT OF EXEMPLIFIED RELIGION. 85 

be done till they are induced to attend to, and think 
on these things. Much is done toward the sinner's 
conversion when his attention is enHsted to the sub- 
ject of Christianity. When he is inspired with 
though tMness, angels gaze on him as hopeful. "When 
from any cause there has been awakened in him a 
spirit of inquiry, there is a strong probability of his 
being won to Christ. Here then arises a question as 
momentous as the soul's value ! How can the atten- 
tion of men be most effectually drawn to the great sub- 
ject of Christianity ? If there can be no sound conver- 
sion to God without thought and investigation, how 
can men be induced to entertain the gospel proposi- 
tion ? The most effectual way to enhst general atten- 
tion to the religion of Christ, is for its professors to 
display it in their tempers and conduct. The uncon- 
verted can and do allow the Scriptures of God to re- 
main in their possession, unread, and uncared for ; but 
they can not, without closing their eyes, avoid read- 
ing, thinking of, and being impressed by the truth, 
when it shines out in the life and character of the 
Christians with whom they mingle. After all, the 
most striking, novel, unique thing in this world, is 
high-toned, personal religion. The sun in mid-heaven 
is less remarkable, exhibits less of God, is less sub- 
lime, than one thoroughly religious man. He who 
beheves in Jesus Christ, and acts correspondingly, is 
a great light which those around him can no more 
avoid seeing, and being impressed by than they can 
avoid seeing the natural sun, and being impressed by 
8 



OC HOW EXEMPLIFIED RELIGION 

it. A Christian ! he is the truth of God imperson- 
ated, living and moving among men in deeds of good- 
ness. A Christian ! he is a reduplication of Christ. 
In his heart Christ's compassion throbs afresh. He 
is Christ's representative to a lost world ; he shines 
in the image of God. T\'hat are all the productions 
of art and science, and the scenes of nature, to the 
humble man who is Christ-like ' AVhat are heroes, 
statesmen, and sages, to the Bible Christian ? No mat- 
ter where such a man lives, he will be the observed of 
all observers. Xo other character will be so much 
scanned, studied, and remarked upon. Said a pastor 
in an address to some young converts, "Study the 
Scriptures." " Yes," added an aged deacon, " for the 
world will study you." True, some will observe you 
to cavil and condemn ; but others, with a deep interest, 
will behold-your walk, " to see if these things are so." 
The Christian who displays the charms of a rehgious 
example, will be to his neighbors a remembrancer of 
Christ and eternity. Evil doers find far less diffi- 
culty in forgetting and neglecting the truth as it is 
preached and taught in the Scriptures, than when 
they see it lived by good men. Just as a light, in a 
dark night, will be seen by many, far and wide ; so a 
religious man is a moral light in this dark world, that 
must catch the eye of men. 

2. It convinces the judgment Many are kept from 
embracing Christ's religion by a lurking skepticism. 
Some book long since read, a conversation long since 
had with some infidel friend, or some train of thoui^h* 



li 
II 



I 



EFFECTS CONVERSION. 87 

has produced in their minds a secret doubt as to the 
truth of the whole or some of the fundamental doc- 
trines of Christianity. These doubts they have found 
neither time nor inclination to remove ; and indeed it 
may be well questioned whether all in-eligious per- 
sons are not more or less kept from Christ by a lin- 
gering skepticism. "With some it is the result of 
thoaght ; with others it is the result of thoughtless- 
ness. No matter whence these doubts originate, they 
must be removed before there can be conversion to 
Christ. 

Now, for the truth of our holy religion there are 
many independent, powerful, and convincing argu- 
ments. But which, after all, is the most unanswer- 
able and effectual argument in favor of Christ's relig- 
ion ? Is it the fact that some five or six hundred 
prophecies have been most literally and remarkably 
fulfilled ? Is it the many miracles that have been 
wrought in its attestation ? Is it the wonders of Cal- 
vary and the resurrection ? Is it the unearthly sub- 
limity of its doctrines, and beauty of its precepts ? 
or that it spread at first, within a few years, from the 
Jordan to the Thames, and is now heard and read 
in more than two hundred lano-uao-es of the earth ? 
No : these though in their place mi^'hty, are not our 
miglitiest proofs. In many ways their force can be 
evaded. The books that record them may never be 
read ; the preacher that proclaims them may never 
be heard ; or should they be read and heard, their 
power may be evaded by sophistry, diversion, neglect, 



88 HOW EXEMPLIFIED RELIGION 

or rejection. Our crowning evidence — our unmistak- 
able, unanswerable, unavoidable argument — is practi- 
cal personal religion after the primitive pattern. An 
intelligent and accomplisbed young man, on his 
death-bed, once told a minister who visited him that 
he had been an infidel and a profligate, and that in 
the whole course of his infidelity there was but one 
thing that disturbed him ; that he could answer every 
argument for Christianity but one, and that was the 
pious example and prayers of a believing mother. 
That was a difiiculty he knew not how to get over. 
The remembrance of it would come to him in his 
mirth and disquiet him ; and it was finally the means 
of his being brought to the belief of Christianity, and 
to a timely and happy repentance. The writer once 
asked an intelligent gentleman who was relating his 
experience in order to membership in the church, 
what had been the means of his awakening, who re- 
plied that the example and prayers of his wife had, 
under God, more efiect in brino-inor bim to Christ than 
all the sermons he had ever heard. 

A conversion from depravity and actual transgres- 
sion to active godliness, is a sublimer miracle and a 
more efficacious proof for the divinity of the gospel 
than w^as the resurrection of Lazarus. A life of grow- 
ing likeness to Christ is both a prophecy and the ful- 
fillment of all prophecy. Of all modes of inculcating 
Chnstianity, exemplifying it is the best. The best 
commentary on the Bible the world has ever seen is 
a holy life. The most eloquent sermon in behalf of 



I 




EFFECTS CONVERSION. 89 

the gospel that tlie world lias ever heard, 19 a uniform, 
active piety. The best version of the written truth 
that has ever been made is a consistent religious ex- 
ample. The Christian whose light thus shines, not 
only correctly renders, but beautifies the sacred text. 
His life and conduct is a sort of second edition of the 
written Scriptures — a living epistle that all can read, 
all understand, and that convinces and convicts all. 

Now, when all who name the name of Christ thus 
become living, radiant counterparts of the truth, then 
there will be an end of all controversy as to the truth 
and importance of the Christian religion. Then the 
gospel will achieve rapid and saving triumphs over 
the minds, the consciences, and the hearts of men. 
Then we can say to all cavilers and infidels. Come see 
our reserve proofs, and refute them if you can. Be- 
hold how humble the disciples of Christ are in pros- 
perity ! how forgiving under wrongs ! how fair in 
their dealings ! how patient under sufferings ! how 
submissive under losses ! how kind to the unkind ! 
how calm and gentle when the storms of furious pas- 
sions rage in the bosoms of others ! how useful in 
life ! how triumphant in death ! and doubt if you can. 
Infidels have said that out of the Scriptures and the 
creeds of the churches there is no such thing as gen- 
uine religion — that there is nothing in the life and 
character of professing Christians that may not be 
equaled by. men of the world. Christians of the 
above type are a refutation of this slander. Nay more, 
with Christians around them of this grade, how can 



90 HOW EXEMPLIFIED RELIGION 

unbelievers defend their iiTeligion ? Environed with 
these living verifications of the great doctrines of the 
Bible, how can they, in the light of reason, justify 
their unbelief ? Have they any logic rigid enough to 
resist such a plea for Christ and His gospel ? The 
eloquence of our books and sermons we know they 
can withstand, but can they, without being more than 
crdinariiy depraved, turn aside the living, breathing, 
beaming, tender argument of a religious life, especially 
when displayed by those to whom they are bound by 
near relationships ? If many bright religious exam- 
ples do not shame them out of their infidelity, and 
shame it back to the bottomless pit, then do they love 
darkness rather than light ; for the plea of a holy life 
shuts them up to the alternative either of closing their 
eves to the hcrht, or of seeinof it and beino- illuminated 
by it. 

But practical religion will appear in a stronger 
light as an argument, if we observe how comparatively 
inefficient the other appliances of salvation are with- 
out it. We may translate and put in the hands of 
every individual a pure version of the Scriptures. We 
may erect fiue houses of worshij), and fill every pulpit 
with a well-trained, eloquent minister. We may 
supply every family with good books, tracts, and pe- 
riodicals. We may indoctrinate our membership tiU 
they know and believe all the truth. We may extend 
to all our religious societies all needful patronage : 
and yet, as vastly important as all these instrumen- 
talities are, the general unbelief of men will never be 



EFFECTS CONVERSION. 91 

overcome till there is among Christians a higher type 
of piety. 

In vain may we put into the hands of infidels our 
best books on the evidences of Christianity, so long as 
those infidels are acquainted with professing Chris- 
tians whose liv^es contradict their profession. The 
inconsistency of such will neutralize all the arguments 
these infidels may read or hear in favor of Christian- 
ity. To convince the gainsayers in his congregation, 
the minister may preach logical, eloquent sermons, 
but if the membership of that minister's church are in 
the habit of violating the Sabbath, touching the wine 
cup, and patronizing sinful amusements, they will ren- 
der their pastor's sermons powerless w^ith those gain- 
sayers. We urge in vain the claims of Christ on that 
man of business who has had dealings with church 
members who are regardless of their promises and 
the just chiims of others. How improbable the con- 
version of that young man whose professing mother 
and sister are as proud, pleasure-loving, and as fash- 
ionable as the multitude who are going away from 
Christ and heaven. That unconverted husband will 
most likely die in his sins whose professing wife is 
habitually morose and irritable in the man^igement 
of her domestic matters. How difficult to convert to 
Christ those children who see in their professing pa- 
rents the same pride and worldliness they see in 
others ! 

Woe to the world if all the professed friends of 
Christ were Christians of this grade. So far as tho 



92 HOW EXEMPLIFIED RELIGION 

honor of Christ, and tlie good of the world are con- 
cerned, better that thej had never been born ; or be- 
ing born, had never assumed Christ's name. Of all 
arguments against Christianity, their lives are the 
most formidable. They strike Christ's ministers 
dumb. They wound and discourage the good, and 
provoke the ridicule and scorn of the bad. They 
justify and harden the wicked in their iniquity. The 
destruction of souls will, on the day of eternity, lie at 
their door. They hinder the world's conversion more 
than all Christ's outward foes. 

Xow, let all such mis-named Christians be called to 
repentance, and rise up to that standard of godliness 
that the Bible and the world's w^ants demand ; or, if 
they will not put away their idols and reform, it will 
be best for all concerned, that they be exclivled from 
our churches. Let the time come when Christians 
shall everywhere act out the principles of the gospel ; 
let skeptics live amid neighbors whose religious ex- 
ample shines brightly ; let the rising generation have 
parents who reflect in their daily walk the image of 
Christ ; let the unbelieving husbands have wives w^ho, 
by their meekness, gentleness, prayerfulness, and com- 
passion, adorn their profession. In fine, let all the 
visible Zion of God live as it becomes the gospel of 
Christ, and men's intellects everywhere will be won 
to Christ, and thus a mighty vantage ground be 
gained in efiecting their conversion. The crowning 
argument for the truth of the gospel will then bo 
given, and the great triumph achieved. 



EFFECTS CONVERSION. 93 

3. It not only attracts attention^ convinces the judg- 
ment^ hut removes objections. Most of the objections 
raised against the religion of Christ, are drawn from 
the inconsistent lives of professing Christians. France 
was once made a nation of atheists by the corruptions 
of the Romish church. The leading English infidels 
of the last century avowed that their disbelief in 
Christianity was caused by the corruptions and im- 
morahty of the established church. From this source, 
Hume, the Goliath of skepticism, drew some of his 
weapons of attack, and it is acknowledged on all 
hands that the different types of modern infidelity, on 
the continent of Europe, had their origin ia the per- 
versions and inconsistencies of the so-called churches 
of Christ. 

And every pastor knows that one of the greatest 
obstacles in the way of bringing men to Christ, are 
the objections they derive from the flagrant contra- 
dictions between the professions and conduct of Chris- 
tians. To arouse the impenitent to a sense of their 
danger, we appeal to the Scriptures ; to justify their 
irreligion, they appeal to the inconsistent lives of Chris- 
tians. We seek to win them by preaching the pare 
life, the holy precept, and the sublime death of Christ, 
by calling on them to judge the disciple by his Lord ; 
they resist our appeals by judging the Lord by His 
followers, and making His religion responsible for the 
faults of its friends. We reply by pointing to some 
in the churches who adorn their profession ; thev 
evade us again by referring to some who disgrace 



94 HOW EXEMPLIFIED RELIGION 

theirs. These, like the falling star, fill tne entire 
field of their vision. We aim to convince their minds 
and move their hearts by arguments drawn from 
prophecy, miracles, and the progress of the gospel, in 
reforming nations ; they break the force of our reason- 
ing, and ward off our appeals by calling to mind some 
church member who has a name to live, w^hile he is 
dead. 

In vain may we complain of this injustice and un- 
fairness on the part of the world toward the friends 
of Christ. We can not drive them from this sheet- 
anchor excuse ; in vain may we tell them that they 
magnify our failings into crimes ; that there is neither 
logic nor justice in holding Chrislicinity responsible 
for the short-comings of some of its professors, any 
more than there is in holding patriotism responsible 
for the treason of Arnold. From this refuge they 
will not be driven, though they have mistaken a mud- 
shed for a tower. 

How can this wide-spread objection be taken from 
the impenitent ? How can we induce in them the 
conviction that they have no cloak for their sins ? 
How can we shut them up to the necessity of taking 
all the blame and shame of their irreligion to them- 
selves, and thereby gain a third mighty vantage 
ground in bringing them to Christ ? Not (and let 
all the churches mark it,) merely by preaching relig- 
ion, not by writing religion, nor by arguing religion, 
nor by talking religion, nor by singing nor shouting, 
nor by praying religion ; hut by acting religion. Let 



EFFECTS CONVERSION. 95 

our faith develop itself in maldDg "us blameless and 
harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke in the midst 
of a crooked and perverse nation ;" let our religious 
principles take the form of self-denying exertions to 
do good and get good ; let the religion of Christ, in 
some good degree, reappear in the lives of its pro- 
fessors^ and the caviling, carping world will be silenced 
and excuseless. The religion of Christ, thus exem- 
2)lified, will be more effectual in refuting objections, 
than ten thousand voices ; more efficient in answer- 
ing excuses than a thousand volumes ; and thereby 
accomplish a mighty work in removing one of the 
great stumbling-blocks out of the way of men's con- 
version. 

4. Furthermore : piety of a high grade not 

ONLY removes OBJECTIONS BUT WINS ESTEEM. The 

irreligious sometimes talk as if they considered zeal- 
ous Christians over-scrupulous, when they stand upon 
their principles and refuse to yield a sinful compliance 
with the spirit and practice of the mullitude, when 
really they thinJc no such thing. When they see a 
Christian truly consistent in his conduct, their hearts 
are constrained to do him homage ; yea to do hom- 
age to the religion he professes. In consistent per- 
sonal rehgion there is something so intrinsically lovely 
and winning that the most wicked profoundly respect 
and venerate it. Piety of the right type always se- 
cures the esteem of men's judgments and consciences, 
however much, in some of its aspects, it may excite 
the dislike of their hearts. However far men may, in 



96 HOW EXEMPLIFIED RELIGION 

heart and life, depart from God, their reason and con- 
science will always condemn their course, and with 
awe and admiration approve the conduct of those who 
follow Christ fully. While the hearts of the wicked 
are averse to the righteous just in proportion as the 
tempers and conduct of the pious are unlike and re- 
buke those of the wicked, it is at the same time 
equally true that the better and nobler part of man's 
nature will admire aud confide in the people of 
Christ just in proportion as they are consistently and 
scripturally religious. 

That mankind venerate high-toned religion is ap- 
parent from facts. Why had they rather make bar- 
gains, form connections, and deal with those who serve 
God than with those who serve him not ? Why had 
wicked, skeptical young men rather, other things be- 
ing equal, select as partners for life pious young ladies 
than those who are not ? Why had parents, though 
infidels themselves, rather send their children to relig- 
ious than to irreligious teachers ? Why had unbe- 
lievers, in moving to new countries, rather settle in a 
community of praying, Bible-reading, church-going 
people, than in a community of infidels ? Why, in 
Florida some years ago, did the infuriated Seminoles 
spare the missionary and his family while butchering 
all the whites besides ? Why, in times of danger, 
calamity, and death, do the impenitent so much de- 
sire the presence and prayers of the pious ? Let a 
man make a profession of religion and dishonor that 
profession, and he at once sinks in the estimation of 



II 



I 



EFFECTS CONVERSION. 97 

his ungodly companions. But let another profess, and 
go on to adorn that profession, and nothing will so 
much raise him in the esteem of the world. Of all 
characters, the fairest, the most lovely in the eye of 
the world, is the well-developed Christian character. 

Would you, then, professors of religion, inspire the 
unconverted with the highest appreciation of your re- 
ligion ; would you win hearts for your Master ; then 
rise up from the dust of self-seeking, and put on the 
shining garments of saltation. In this way your piety 
will become converting, because it is attractive. 

5. Personal religion not only removes objections, 
hut is the inost powerful appeal to the consciences of 
the unbelieving. The consistently religious man says 
to the ungodly, more eloquently and urgently than 
all others, " We are journeying unto the place of 
which the Lord said, I will give it you. Come then 
with us, and we will do thee good." The example 
of the godly man is a living, standing memento to all 
around him of Christ, d*eath, and eternity. His life 
and character urge on others the religion of his Lord 
in tones they must hear and understand. Who in- 
vite a slumbering world to Christ so pressingly as they 
who give proof of having gone to Christ themselves ? 
Who teach the world so well how to believe as they 
who walk by faith ? Who inculcate so effectually the 
great work of repentance as they who hate, sorrow 
over, and forsake all sin ? Who reprove pride like 
the humble ? Who warn men so awfully against 
going to hell as those who proclaim by their conduct 

9 



98 HOW EXEMPLIFIED RELIGION 

that they have forsaken destruction's broad pathway ? 
Who point out the way to heaven so plainly as those 
who walk in that way ? Who so overwhelmingly 
draw men after them to heaven as " these who declare 
plainly that they seek a country ?" 

A sermon by an angel every day would not as 
deeply stir the conscience of the unbelieving husband 
as does the religious example of his Vvife. The God 
of grace has no mightier instrumentality to bring to 
bear on depraved man than a holy life. In the per- 
sonal religion of His people Jesus i<3 personated, and 
comes nigh to the unbelieving. If the plea of a strik- 
ing religious example does not awaken the impenitent 
beholder, then he loves darkness rather than light. 
Most likely the next appliance God will bring to bear 
on him will be heavy afflictions. God did much for 
man's salvation in giving him His word to teach him, 
His Son to die for him, and His Spirit to sanctify him. 
He shows still further His deep concern for the sin- 
ner by calling and beseechiiTg him through His min- 
istry ; but when He places in their communities and 
families His own redeemed, obedient children. He has 
reached his ultimatum in the way of mercy. 

6. In fine, practical religion not only catches the 
attention, convinces the judgment, removes objections, 
wins esteem, and arouses the conscience, hut converts 
to Christ, Exemplified religion does not convert sin- 
ners meritoriously. That were an invasion of the 
work of Christ. Nor efficiently. That were an inva- 
sion of the influence of the Holy Spirit ; but, like the 



^1 



EFFECTS CONVERSION. 99 

written and preached truth, it converts to Christ in- 
strumental! j. God's Spirit must make the truth ef- 
ficacious in the sinner's conversion, whether it be read, 
heard, or seen in the conduct of Christians. If in any 
of our attempts to convert the world we confound the 
instrumentalities of grace with the grace of instrumen- 
talities, disappointment and defeat await us. 

Now, iustrumentallj considered, some unbelievers 
are more difficult to convert than others. Some men 
are both Bible-proof and sermon-proof. This class 
can only be reached, if reached at all, by Christ-like 
piety. Thousands on earth, and millions in heaven, 
have been won to Christ by this means. Such con- 
vert beciiuse they evidence their conversion. They 
allure to brighter worlds because they lead the way. 
• It is easy to see how such Christians save souls 
from death. In the life of such Christians, the un- 
godly having before them an end of ail controversy 
as to the reality of the Christian religion ; seeing in 
persons of like jDassions, age, occupations Avith them- 
selves marked proofs of the practicability and desir- 
ableness of personal religion ; seeing neighbors hum- 
ble, meek, forgiving, benevolent, and prayerful, whom 
they knew once to be proud, vain, revengeful, covet- 
ous, and profane ; beholding those who were once 
their companions in sin now wearing the name and 
reflecting the image of Chiist ; being both condemned 
and encouraged by such instances of piety, being 
forced to draw the contrast between the character and 
prospects of such and their own unhappy circum- 



100 HOW EXEMPLIFIED RELIGION 

stances, and these appeals coming to their hearts and 
consciences through tender ties, they are most power- 
fully drawn away from the path of death to Christ 
the sinner's friend. 

O what a mighty motive this to all Christians, to 
exhibit before the world the bright light of personal 
holiness. All can not be Luthers to reform coun- 
tries, nor Whitefields to preach to thousands, nor Jud- 
sons to translate the Scriptures into other tongues ; 
all are not rich that tbey may give to the cause of 
Christ their thousands ; nor learned that they may 
write and argue for Christ ; all can not become 
ministers, nor missionaries, nor even Sabbath-School 
teachers ; all ought not to pray in public. But all 
Christians of both sexes, however poor and obscure, 
can so possess and display the religion of Christ, as 
not only to die safely and augment their bliss in eter- 
nity, but so as to save souls and honor Christ. 

Piety of til is grade is not only the key to Paradise 
but the key to men's hearts. While the truth is 
being read from the Bible, and proclaimed fiom the 
pulpit, let all the members of our churches second 
and enforce that truth by the silent eloquence of holy 
lives, and the world's conversion will move forward at 
home and abroad, with primitive speed. " A nation 
will be born in a day." Millennial dawn will blush 
deeper and deeper, the sun of truth will rise on our 
darkened world, and revivals will roll from land to 
land, like the waves of the mighty deep. The way 
to hell will then soon become a dreary waste, and the 




EFFECTS CONVERSION. 101 

way to heaven crowded with converts as numerous 
and as resplendent as the stars that bestud the broad 
galaxy of the midnight heavens. Come that day ! 
Who would not J^ray, and live, and labor, for such a 
glorious state of things ? 



CHAPTER V. 

MEANS TO BE USED FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF THE 
PIETY RECOMMENDED. 

Having pointed out the leading features of tlie 
religion that evidences its truth, and converts the 
world ; having seen the particulars in which it must 
appear, and then seen how it operates in converting 
mankind ; the question now arises, how can such a 
standard of practical religion be reached ? Says an 
objector, such a type of religion is most desirable 
and important, but it is impracticable for the mass of 
professors, too refined and difficult for the generality 
of the friends of Christ ; and many laboring under 
this mischievous mistake, have contented themselves 
with just as much religion as is customary. They 
aim to incumber themselves with no more than will 
allow them to carry the world along with tliem to 
heaven. They desire and strive for no more religion 
than will keep them out of the world of woe. 

Never did the unbelieving heart frame a more un- 
scriptural objection. Millions of Christians environed 
with far more difficulties, and far fewer advantages 
than Christians have now, have more than reached 
the standard we are here pleading for. If Christians 
would only arise from their sluggish repose and go 



MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF PIETY. 103 

about the matter in tlie right way, they would find it 
much easier to be whole-hearted Christians, than to 
work out that difficult problem, how near perdition's 
edge they can approach, and yet reach the heavenly 
world, God has promised all needed help. He is 
willing to grant the Spirit's influences. In Christ, our 
Master and Model, all fullness dwells. Hence, emi- 
nent piety is within the reach of all. The piety of 
Moses, Daniel, and Paul, is as much our imperative 
duty as it is our glorious privilege.' Let no one pro- 
nounce elevated, piety impracticable till he has, in 
Cod'^s own prescribed way, made the experiment. 
But how^ it is most pertinent to inquire, can such a 
type of religion be reached ? 

1. In order to the exhibition of the religion of 
Christ in our tempers and conduct^ there must he im- 
planted in the soul the religious principle^ A man 
must he religious in the sight of God before he can 
appeo.r so in the sight of man. As in nature, so 
in grace, no effect can exceed its cause. In religion 
there are two fundamental propositions equally true 
and important ; one is, as there can be no religious 
principle, unless it is succeeded by religious .practice; 
so there can be no religious practice unless it is pre- 
ceded by religious principle. A man's life can not be 
in habitual contradiction to his bias. A good tree 
can not be made to bear evil fruit; neither can a 
corrupt tree be made to bear good fruit. 

You may, by pruning off the dead limbs and loosen- 
ing and manuring the earth around the roots of the 



104 MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMENT 

stunted, withered tree, resuscitate it, and make it 
fruit-bearing. But no matter how much you may 
dig about and enrich the roots of the dead tree, no 
matter how propitious the sunbeams and showei*s 
may be, it will remain dead. The best food and the 
best nursing in the world can not make the dead in- 
fant live and grow. Before, in either case, there can 
be grow^th and improvement, there must exist that 
mysterious thing we call life. So with the case in 
hand. Man by nature, "is dead in trespasses and in 
sin." Before there can be any external religious im- 
provement, he must be quickened by the power ot 
God, and have imparted to his soul, spiritual Ufe. 
Life of auy kind must come from God. There is no 
innate germ of goodness in man which he can culti- 
vate and develop into religion, until man has been 
born again of the Spirit ; until he has had imparted 
to him, by the Holy Ghost, that sublime principle of 
life which Jesus Christ died to procure, all efforts to 
form a religious character is but feeding death and 
cultivating sterility. 

Just here thousands are fatally erring. They are 
attempting to rear a superstructure of practical god- 
liness, without first laying the foundation of "repent- 
ance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus 
Christ." No observance of the means of grace, no 
prayers, no self-denial, no efforts, no compliance with 
divine ordinances, can make a man in reality and in 
appearance, religious, until he has, by faith in the 
grent atonement, " passed from death unto life." It is 



OF THE PIETY RECOMMENDED. 105 

as unscriptural as it is unphilosophical, to suppose 
there can be any attainments made in practical relig- 
ion, until there has been exercised in the person and 
work of Christ, a penitential faith. In religion a man 
will go just as far as he believes, and no further. His 
zeal, holiness, humility, prayerfulness, happiness, and 
usefulness, will be just in proportion to the strength 
of his faith. 

Why are there so many professors who are dead 
while they have a name to live ? Wliy are there so 
many others that reflect so faintly the image of Christ ? 
In fine, why is the religion of the mass of modern 
Christians so partial, fickle, and indistinct ? It is be- 
cause many have no saving faith, no realizing con vie- . 
tlon of the truth and importance of sacred things. In 
others there is a feeble, flickering, faltering faith, and 
the consequence is that such are feeble, dwarfish Chris- 
tians, doing no good, and finally saved " so as by fire." 
And then in all ages a few have been eminently and 
strikingly religious. Such were the primitive Chris- 
tians. Such were Luther, Menno, I^ewton, Fuller, 
Pearee, Scott, Judson, and a host of others, both in 
the ministry and in the laity, Now, what was it that 
so shaped, molded, and directed the spirits and con- 
duct of these men ? What made them the wonder 
and the hope of the world ? What was the secret of 
their vast superiority over the mass of Christians in 
practical religion, and consequently in point of use- 
fulness ? Think you that educational or domestic or 
social or national influences made them what they 



106 MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMENT 



were ? They attained their eminence in holiness am 
usefulness, says one, because of their incessant^ ear- 
nest prayerfulness ; but what raade them so prayerful ? 
Says another, their eminence in religion is ascribable 
to their diligence and self-denials ; but what influence 
made them so industrious and self-denying ? Says 
another, their boldness rendered them so conspicuous 
in the cause they professed ; but what inspired them 
with such boldness ? Says another, their ardent love 
for Christ and souls shaped their characters, and gave 
them their influence. True ; but what induced them 
to love Christ and souls so intensely ? Their model 
characters and power for good, says still another, are 
attributable to their great spirituality. Very true ; 
but what imparted to them their spirituality ? The 
great principle that transformed and ennobled their 
characters, that impelled them to their mighty 
achievements for God, was their strong faith in the 
person, cross, presence, and promise of Jesus Christ. 
Their faith in God was the first of their graces, and 
the source of the rest. Their prayerfulness, their dili- 
gence, their boldness, their labors of love, were but 
the embodiment of their faith in their crucified, risen, 
reigning Lord. 

The truth is, not only is faith the great insti'umen- 
tulity by which our relations to God's law and gov- 
ernment are adjusted, by which our sins are forgiven 
and our natures changed, but it is the great inward 
principle that prompts to holiness of life. And if this 
be so, then, in order to religious improvement, we 



i 



OF THE PIETY RECOMMENDED. 107 

must seek an increase of our faith. Let us begin with 
the cause of the evil. Let us repent of the great sin 
of unbeh'ef. We must not rest contented while our 
convictions of the truth and importance of the gospel 
are cold and inoperative. We must strive and pray 
and meditate till the great facts of Christianity become 
to us engrossing realities. Jesus Christ must be so 
received and trusted in as to be to us, not merely a 
historical personage, but as a living, enveloping, pres- 
ent Saviour. We must beg God so to purge from 
the soul's eye the films and mists of unbelief, that we 
may discern distinctly and realizingly the way of sal- 
vation. It must grow till it becomes " the substance 
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." 
Dear reader, covet a strong ft^ith in the Lord Jesus 
more than gold, or fame, or pleasures. Only have 
faith in Christ, and you have every thing else. Your 
resources then are as exhaustless as God Himself. 
Faith in Jesus is religion — is the all-inclusive germ 
which involves within it every other grace. 

If then you would attain Christ-like piety, see to 
it that your faith is of the right kind, and then it 
grows exceedingly. See to it that it is not an affair 
that you transact with Christ at your conversion, but 
that it is a life-long habit. Be able to say, " The life 
which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of 
the Son of God." Then the plant of grace will be in 
a good soil. 

2. A second means of elevating the standard of 
personal religion is a more distinct recognition of and 



108 MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMENT 

a more earnest dependence on the agency of the Holy 
Spirit, Christians, in their efforts to grow in grace 
and impart grace, practically ignore the Spirit's per- 
sonality and agency. It may be well questioned 
whether our defective and erroneous views of the 
Spirit's oflSce and work are not the grand cause of 
our puny piety and inefficiency. Luther accomplished 
the great Reformation of the sixteenth century by 
bringing out, explaining, defending, and proclainaing 
the death of Christ as the only means of the sinner's 
justification before God.. Now, before the church of 
Christ will ever rise up to that high stand of holi- 
ness which the exigencies of the world so imperatively 
demand, there must be effected a second great refor- 
mation in regard to the work of the Spirit. By all 
means let us maintain and depend on the death of 
the second person in the Trinity, as the only means 
of taking away our guilt and seeming to us a right 
and title to heaven. But it is equally as important 
til at we maintain and depend on the agency of the 
tljird, to renew our natures and transform us into the 
likeness of Christ. Wliat Christ did for us becomes 
effectual in our salvation, becimse it is followed by the 
Spirit's working in us. 

What Christ wrought for us was done unsolicited 
and unasked. Not so with the Spirit. Those who 
most covet, seek, and prize the helps of this heavenly 
agent, generally have vouchsafed unto them the largest 
measure of His gracious influences. The Scriptures 
of God show that indolence, prayerlessness, and un- 



OF THE PIETY RECOMMENDED. 109 

holy tempers grieve and repel the great Sanctiiier ; 
and on the other hand, prayerfulness, activity, and 
holy tempers invite and secure His presence and 
agency. So that the great iaw of obtaining the 
Spirit is that we toil, watch, and pray, as if we could 
make ourselves holy ; and at the same time that wa 
depend upon, and pray for the Spirit's influences as if 
all absolutely depended on this celestial agent. 

The indispensableness of an augmented measure 
of the Spirit's influences in order to spiritual growth 
will appear if you consider the nature of spiritual 
progress, and the obstacles in the way. There are 
very many inward and outward difficulties in the way 
of religious improvement, which in our own unaided 
strengtli we can no more overcome than we can create 
a new star, or hurl the sun from its orbit. In this 
work, without God we can do nothing. Without the 
direct aids of the Spirit, the best Christian on earth, 
with all his attainments, would never overcome an- 
other sin, never gain another triumph over the world^ 
never demolish another idol, nor escape another snare 
of Satan. Can we, amid so many counter-influences, 
nourish and develop the germ of life ? Can human 
might resist the heart's depraved tendency, the world^s 
cuiTent, and Satan's wiles ? Without the Spirit's 
gracious helps we may become refined, moral, and in 
one sense know and believe the truth ; but without 
His helps there can not be created in us and devel- 
oped through us the principles of grace. No power 
in the universe, save that of the Holy Ghost, can 
1^ 



110 MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMENT 

make a New Testament Christian. Genuine religion 
is just as much His woikmaEsbip as the physical 
world. We know this doctrine is liable to misappre- 
hension and abuse ; still no truth is more plainly re- 
vealed in the Scriptures, and the great requisite in 
order to become a full-grown, vigorous Christian, is a 
deep practical pereuasion of our dependence on the 
promised Spirit. 

Let all our endeavors after a fuller possession and 
development of the Christian principle, be put forth 
with a penetrating conviction of our need of the 
promptings and leadings of the Spirit. Let us fear 
grieving Him more than we would fear the frown oi 
all creation. Let us watch and pray against every 
feeling, word, and act, that would in the least restrain 
His presence and quench His influences. Let us cul- 
tivate the tempers, speak the words, and do the things 
that will invite and secure His continued indwelling. 
Should we provoke Him to abandoutus, let us search 
and fast, and pray, and repent, till He reenters and 
fills our bosoms with His tranquillizing joys. When 
there are difficulties to be overcome, trials to be boine, 
temptations to be resisted, or duties to be performed, 
let us go to God with the faith and simplicity of little 
children, and ask Him for His Spirit to help in these 
times of need. Have you a besetting sin that stunts 
your spiritual growth and impairs your religious in- 
fluence ? Ask for the Spirit, that you may see the 
guilt of it ; mourn over it and be enabled to forsake 
it. Are you in darkness ? Ask the Father in the name 



OF THE PIETY RECOMMENDED. Ill 

of the Son, for the Spirit, that you may be taught of 
God and guided into all truth. Are you warering, 
weak, and cast down ? Secure the indwelling of the 
Comforter, and you will be confirmed, strengthened, 
and encouraged. 

We give it as the result of much thought, that in 
order to a more thorough exemplification of the gos- 
pel, we must more distinctly recognize, more firmly 
believe in, and more earnestly seek an increased meas- 
ure of the influences of the Holy Ghost. 

3. In order to religious growth^ the soul must re- 
ceive constant nourishment. Appropriate food is not 
more essential to the growth and vigor of the natural, 
than it is to the spiritual infant ; and what is the nour- 
ishment in which the soul grows and thrives ? Not 
science, not ethics, not the opinions of men, but " the 
truth as it is in Jesus." Of young converts the Apos- 
tle Peter says, " As new-born babes desire the sincere 
milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." It 
has been said, it matters not what a man believes, or 
whether he believes any thing, so that he does what 
is right As well say, it matters not what a man eats, 
or whether he eat at all, so that he lives. We can no 
more live and grow spiritually without eating the " liv- 
ing bread that came down from heaven," than we can 
live and grow bodily without eating wholesome food. 
Error is just as hurtful to the soul as poison is to the 
body. Hence no more should that minister be called 
a bigot, who is greatly anxious that his people should 
believe only the truth of God, than the physician 



112 MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMENT 

who, by his pen and tongue, contends for wholesome 
diet. 

But the Scriptures do not necessarily and uncon- 
ditionally become spiritual nutriment to our souls. 

(a.) They must he read. An unread Bible is an 
unambiguous sign of a low state of religion. To sup- 
pose that one can make attainments in grace, without 
a knowledge of God's word, is to suppose that the end 
can be reached without the means. Such a supposi- 
tion depreciates and makes nugatory the word of life. 

We suppose, however, most professors read the 
Scriptures. But few can be found in Protestant 
churches who have not read them through. The de- 
ficiency is in the manner in which they are read. It 
is our deliberate conviction that one of the reasons 
why Christians make such slow and interrupted prog- 
ress in religion, is the coldness, inattention, irrever- 
ence, formality, and prayerlessness, with which the 
Bible is perused. Hence we say : 

(6.) Again, that in order to make the Scriptures 
the means of our sanctification and religious growth, 
they must be read with devout meditation. The best 
and most nutritious food taken into the stomach, 
without undergoing the process of digestion, becomes 
positively pernicious. Before it can be incorporated 
into the animal economy, it must undergo this indis- 
pensable process. So the truth of God received into 
the head, or slumbering in the memory witliout being 
"marked, learned, and inwardly digested," not only 
contributes nothing to the moral growth of the soul, 



i 



OF THE PIETY EECOMMENDED. 113 

but becomes " a savor of death unto deatb." During 
the day the cow browses hither and thither, and gath- 
ers into her stomach a mass of appropriate, yet un- 
digested food. When nightfall comes, she Hes down, 
regurgitates that food, at her leisure masticates it, 
and fits it for nourishment. So let the child of grace 
bare his eyes and ears open, and gather from the 
Scriptures, from the pulpit, from providence and na- 
ture, into the repository of his memory, the truth of 
God ; and then let him, during the " night watches," 
like David ; or " at eventide," like Isaac; or during a 
season set apart for the purpose, take that truth and 
ponder it, pray over it, and thereby convert it into 
spiritual pabulum for his soul. In this way the great 
facts and doctrines of the gospel will no longer be 
dead events in the annals of the past, and dry ab- 
stractions for speculations, but will be radiant reali- 
ties, shaping and controlling the feelings, sentiments, 
and conduct. 

See that eminent saint who stands distinguished in 
all the country around, for his sanctity, benevolence, 
and as one who walks with God. He reached this 
elevation by habitually and seriously pondering sacred 
things. If you go back into his history, for the last 
twenty years, you would find that those moments that 
others waste in frivolous thinking and listless vacuity, 
he employed in heavenly meditation. 

In sanctifying through the truth, God works no 
miracles, violates no law of our mind. It transforms 
and molds us into the image of its Author, just in pro- 
10* 



114 MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMEIfT 

portion as it impresses us ; and it impresses us just in 
proportion as it is digested. Some Christians are 
ever reading and hearing the truth, and are none the 
better for it. Wherefore ? Because the truth makes 
no impression ; and why does the truth fail to do this ? 
Because it is read and heard listlessly. How many 
while away many of their best hours in moving the 
eye mechanically and formally over God's Book, with- 
out ever entering into its meaning. Never will such 
grow in religion till this habit is broken. The Scrip- 
tures themselves are emphatic on this point. '^Search 
the Scriptures ;" " Take heed how you hear ;" " Con- 
sider what we say, and the Lord give you under- 
standing in all things ;" " Prove all things ; hold fast 
that which is good." " Therefore we ought to give 
the more earnest heed to the things which we have 
heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." " Be 
not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord 
is." " Think on these things." 

Reader, would you become an intelligent, well-pro- 
portioned disciple of Christ ? Then ponder the truths 
of the gospel till your views of them are clear, discrimi- 
nating, and affecting. Think on these things till you 
can distinguish between law and gospel. 

Would you have your faith become strong, your 
hopes bright, and your character beautified with the 
graces of the Spirit, think it not enough that you can 
weep at a description of the Saviour's sufferings, but 
dwell on the theme till you have clear and impres- 
sive views of the connection between His death and 



OE THE PIETY RECOMMENDED. 115 

your salvation. Would you become more and more 
like Christ, and more the admiration and hope of the 
woild ? Then consider the doctrines and promises of 
the gospel till your very soul takes their type and 
mold, till they are incorporated into the economy of 
your moral natures. In no other way will you ever 
grow in grace. You will never become eminent 
Christians upon easier terms ; and you will grow in 
the religion of Christ just in proportion as you sin- 
cerely pursue this course. 

(c.) In order to have the Scriptures become food 
and principle unto your soul, they must he studied in 
prayerful dependence on the S]pirifs influences. The 
Bible is a revelation from God unto us ; before the 
truth is revealed into us, the same Spirit that indited 
it, must take it from the written page and give it a 
penetrating power. The Bible is all needed external 
light ; before it can become the means of spiritual 
growth unto us, the Spirit must give us internal vis- 
ion for that light. Without the Spirit's teachings, 
one may know the Scriptures intellectually, but not 
savingly. No one ever read and studied himself into 
a saving knowledge of God's truth. There is a seal 
to God's Book that nothing but the Holy Ghost can 
take away. There is a film in the way of a convert- 
ing, sanctifying view of the truth that nothing but 
the Holy Ghost can remove. There is a mystery and 
repulsiveness that, to a carnal mind, invest the pe- 
culiar doctrines of the Bible, that nothing but the 
light of the Holy Ghost can dispel. There is a relish, 



116 MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMENT 

requisite to a profitable study of the Scriptures, that 
nothing but the Holy Ghost can impart. " It is only 
when the Spirit that indited the sacred text, takes it 
from the page and breathes it into the heart, that we 
can comprehend its meaning, be touched by its beau- 
ty, stirred by its remonstrances, animated by its prom- 
ises," take complexion from its motives, and direc- 
tions from its prescriptions. 

(d.) The Scriptures must also be studied with the 
pro/oundest reverence^ in order to ^produce in us the 
fruits of holy living. The Bible is as much a com- 
munication from God, as if we had seen His hand 
writing it on the face of the heavens. It is not Moses, 
Isaiah, David, Daniel, Matthew, Luke, John, Paul, and 
Peter, writing to us, but God writing to us through 
these men. Remember, whenever your eye traces its 
pages, you are pondering ideas that from eternity ex- 
isted in the mind of Jehovah. Remember, when you 
open its pages you are holding an interview with 
your Maker, Lawgiver, and Saviour, as to how you 
are to escape hell and reach heaven. When the time 
comes to peruse the oracles of God, you should put 
your mind into a solemn frame, put away all worldly 
thoughts, and give it in charge to your soul to " hear 
what God the Lord will s^^eak." Such a state of 
mind, habitually maintained toward the word of God, 
will much conduce to its molding and transforming 
the life and character. 

{e.) You will not read the word of God to practi- 
cal purpose, unless you study it^vith a profound teach- 



OF THE PIETY RECOMMENDED. 117 

ahleness. One of the great hindrances to the full 
power of God's truth over the heart and hfe of be- 
lievers, is systems previously imbibed from human 
sources. Vast numbers, among even Protestants, de- 
rive their religious opinions from other than the di- 
rinely accredited rule of faith and practice. Some, 
by their own reasons, first determine what God should 
and what He should not require of His creatures ; 
and then appeal to the Scriptures for confirmation of 
their self-devised systems. Others read the Bible to 
judge and try it, by the views they inherited from 
their parents ; and then what hundreds approach 
God's Book, preoccupied with and committed to the 
standards of their churches. Human creeds had been 
subscribed to before the Bible w^as opened. If all 
these creeds, systems, and opinions, were tried by the 
Scriptures and not the Scriptures by them, then they 
would not be so productive of mischief. How many 
books have been written to make the Bible counte- 
nance and support doctrines and practices emanating 
from human authority ! How much learning, logic^ 
talents, and exegesis have been brought in contribu- 
tion to make the Scriptures accredit and indorse dog- 
mas that are not only 2mscriptural, but anti-scriptural. 
Now, such readers not only depreci-ite and despise 
the word of God ; they not only adopt principles 
which, in their development, would render the word 
of God needless ; but must, from the nature of the 
case, be themselves partial believers and doers of the 
word. With far difierent views must w^e study the 



118 io:ans for the attainment 

word of God, to be essentially sanctified and improved 
thereby. To be enlightened and stirred by the lively 
oracles, we must go to them, not for advice, but for 
law ; we must read, not to dictate, but to learn and 
obey. There must be that openness to conviction, 
that freedom from biases and prepossessions that will 
prompt us as we open the Divine Volume to pray, 
" Speak, Lord, Thy servant heareth." " Lord, what 
wilt Thou have me do ?" Under the abiding convic- 
tion that all we can know, as to what will please, and 
what will displease God, is revealed in His word, let 
us peruse it with the previous prayerful determina- 
tion that we will believe whatever it says, and do whair 
ever it commands us. Let it be the firmest purpose 
of the mind, that as book after book, and chapter 
after chapter, and verse after verse, comes under re- 
view, we will, in prayerful dependence on the Spirit's 
aid and human help, if need be, seek to know the will 
of God, and believe it, love it, and contend for it, 
however crossing to our own feelings and views, or 
the feelings and views of the world. Such a reader 
of the Bible will certainly grow in religion. He takes 
the very attitude to please God and make full proof of 
the saving power of His truth. 

(/.) To have the truth of God produce in our mind, 
heart, and life its designed effect, it must be read and 
heard with self- application. The Bible is a message 
from God to us individually. It isolates every man 
from every other, and imposes on him the obligation, 
and then offers him the means and the motives to 



OF THE PIETY RECOMMENDED. 119 

read, believe, and be holy. It makes religion an in- 
dividual transaction between its Author and the sin- 
ner. Hence it is a solemnly responsible thing to read 
the Bible. We never close its pages the same moral 
beings we were when we opened them. We have 
either been impressed more deeply with its saving 
type and mold, or its sacred truths have hardened 
and made us more indiflferent. When then we open 
the Scriptures, there is no time nor scope for amuse- 
ment or self-complacency. As portion after portior^^ 
comes under review, the question should be. What 
bearing has this truth on my heart and condition ? 
If the Bible is a communication from my Maker, tell- 
ing me how I may regain His lost favor and be ad- 
mitted into His heavenly kingdom, then let me con- 
stantly compare myself with and examine myself 
by its requisitions, for fear I might be deceived in my 
right and title to heaven. Self-deception in religion 
is most common, most easy, and most fatal. Let me 
then, as I go through God's book, test myself by its 
truths, lest at the last day I meet, in reply to the 
query, " Lord, have I not professed Thy name, done 
many things for Thy cause ?" the cutting repulse, 
'' Depart from me, ye accursed, I never knew you.'* 
Nor is it enough that I guard against delusion. For 
God's glory and the world's good, I should " leave the 
principles of the doctrine of Christ and go on unto 
perfection." This can not be done unless I am in the 
habit of applying the truth of God to my own busi- 
ness and bosom. 



120 MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMENT 

Am T reading of the sufferings of Christ ? Let 
me question myself as to whether I have a saving in- 
sight into those sufferings. Am I anon reading of 
repentance and faith ? Let me not stop to bewilder 
myself as to how these graces can be both God's gifts 
and the sinner's duties, but send home to my con- 
science the great question, Have I, in the scriptural 
sense of the terms, exercised " repentance toward God 
and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ ?" Does the 
subject of baptism come under review ? Let me ques- 
tion my soul solemnly whether I am carrying out the 
great practical design of this ordinance. Do I read a 
threatening ? Let me stop, and with fear and trem- 
blino:. find out whether I am liable to the dangler. 
Anon, do the promises present themselves ? Can I 
claim them ? Do I cross reproofs ? The question 
must be settled whether I am censurable. Does the 
next chapter contain a description of the character 
and the reward of the righteous ? I should deeply 
ponder whether I am such, that I may claim his re- 
ward. In this way the child of grace will not only 
be a reader and hearer, but " a doer of the truth." 
Every time he reads through Scriptures in this man- 
ner, he will have made advancement in spirituality. 
In this way the truth becomes to him nutritious, 
strengthening, transforming principles. In fine, this 
is one of the secrets of becominof a full-2:row^n New 
Testament Christian. "Without it the soul will be im- 
poverished and the character defective. 

(y.) AVe say again, in order to bring ourselves fully 



OF THE PIETY RECOMMENDED. 121 

under the saving effects of the truth of God, we must 
study it ourselves^ as it is revealed in the oracles of 
God. Many, even among Protestants, only study 
truth second-handed. If they enter the temple of 
truth at all, it is leaning on some favorite interpreter 
or preacher, who is looked to to tell them how the 
responses of the sacred oracles are to be taken. They 
take their religious opinions on trust from their 
church. They are contented only to view truth in 
the light it has been placed by some good man. 

Now, such a custom is not only unfavorable to the 
cultivation of piety, but it is to adopt, with the name 
of Protestants, one of the worst errors of popery. To 
receive our religious opinions from any uninspired in- 
dividual, no matter how learned, wise, and pious he 
may be, without testing them by the word of God, is 
to invest that individual with the attribute of infalli- 
bility. To adopt our religious views from man with- 
out searching the Scriptures to see if these things are 
so, is to call that man master, and thereby prostrate 
our intellect and conscience at the foot of human au- 
thority. Moreover, there is not a doctrine in the 
Bible about which good men have not entertained 
diverse and conflicting views. Hence we can have 
no assurance that the views we imbibe from human 
authority are scriptural. All may be wrong, but all 
can not be right ; and it should also be borne in mind 
that the Scriptures, for all practical purposes, are plain 
and obvious. - To understand them and be saved by 
them, it is not needful that we should be learned, or 
11 



122 MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMENT 

dig and dive. Like the precious gold gleaming near 
the earth's surface, the way to believe, be holy, and 
reach heaven, shines on the very face of the Scrip- 
tures. A child may see and understand it. Nowhere 
else is the w^ay of salvation as plain as it is in the di- 
vine Scriptures. For practical ends, the Bible is of 
all religious books the plainest. The man of common 
sense can understand it in this sense just as well as the 
learned divine. The expositions that learned men 
give of the Scriptures are valuable, often, as helps. 
Light shed upon the sacred text, from whatever source, 
should be accepted. But let the individual inquirer 
have the independence to bring them all to the test 
of *' the law and testimony." Let him detennine to 
see with his own eyes. Since he has a mind and 
God's word is sufficiently plain, let him see to it that 
no commentary of church, minister, divine, or parent 
shall be received as oracular any further than he per- 
ceives they accord with the Scriptures. We hold, 
that to be Christians in the right sense of that ap- 
pellation, our creed must be, not what Calvin wrote, 
Luther said, or our church believes ; not what the 
best men or most men say, but what God has said. 

It is said that Alexander the Great once visited 
Diogenes the Cynic while he was basking in the sua- 
bearas in his tub. The great monarch was so delighted 
with the serenity of the philosopher, that he said, 
** Diogenes I I am so charmed wdth you, that you 
need but ask and I wdll give you any thing, to the 
half of my kingdom." The philosopher replied 



1 



II 



OF THE PIETY RECOMMENDED. 123 

*' Please your majesty, I have only one favor to ask, 
and that is that you stand aside from between me 
and the sun, in whose beams I am now enjoying my* 
self." So let the seekers after God's will say to the 
creeds and creed-makers, to the Luthers and Calvins, 
the Wesleys and the Fullers, to the sects and even the 
pastors, Stand aside from between us and the sun- 
beams of revelation. We need not the hand-lamps of 
your systems when the bright sun of God's Scriptures 
shines on us. 

" To the law and to the testimony." In God's light 
let us seek light. From the pure fountain of truth 
let us derive all our doctrinal views ; by its decisions 
let us resolve all our doubts ; to its standard let us 
bring and test our religious state and experience ; and 
by its directions let us shape all our plans and regu- 
late all our intercourse with the world. And then, in 
the broadest sense, the truth will become unto us " the 
power of God' unto salvation," producing in our minds 
right sentiments, in our hearts right dispositions, and 
in our lives right actions. 

4. Another most important means of religious 
growth^ is exercise, God made no servant of any 
grade, in any kingdom, to be idle ; and in activity 
they grow and glorify Him. The strongest, most 
robust trees, are those that grow, not in shaded val- 
leys, but on wintry heights, where they are rocked by 
the storms and scathed by the thunders. Why are 
the muscles so fully developed in the brawny arm of 
the blacksmith ? Because it is his daily business to 



124 MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMENT 

ply the huge hammer to the ringirTg anvil. Suppose 
a mother should confine her infant to the nursery, 
never allow it to make an effort to crawl, nor see the 
light of the sun. Such a child would not only not 
grow, but become positively unhealthy. How does 
it learn to crawl, and then to walk ? By repeated 
attempts. In its first attempts it falls, and falls again ; 
receives wounds perhaps ; does the mother forbid 
further attempts ? No ; she kisses and caresses it, 
and encourages it to try again and again, till, to the 
joy of both parent and child, it can walk without 
wearyfng, and run without fainting. Whose limbs 
are strung with the greatest strength ; on whose 
cheeks does health bloom the ruddiest, and whose 
spirits are most buoyant and cheerful ? Is it the 
man who chains himself to sedentary habits, always 
breathes the close atmosphere of the heated room, 
and lounges perpetually on couches of luxurious ease ? 
No, verily ; but the man- who, despite of winter's cold 
and summer's heat, rises early and passes the day in 
athletic exercises. He is the vigorous, healthy, hap- 
py man. 

Now, the same law obtains in grace. The man 
who grows in grace is not the man who shuts him- 
self out from the world, and spends all his time in 
reading and meditation — though these are vastly im- 
portant in their place — but the man who, in imitation 
of his Master's example, goes " about doing good." 
Perhaps the greatest defect in the piety of other ages, 
was that they pursued salvation too much as an insu- 



OF THE PIETY RECOMMENDED. 125 

lated, selfish concern. Their piety was too dreamy, 
subtle, and abstract. In truth, many of these, who 
have been held up to the world as paragons of relig- 
ion, were mere religious recluses, rather than Chris- 
tians after the New Testament pattern. The cloister 
is not the place to attain spiritual manhood and vigor. 
Think you, that such Christians as Paul, Brainard, 
Martyn, and Judson, could have been trained in the 
soft, shady recesses of the closet ? No ; and we say 
to all Christians of both sexes, that if they would 
attain unto the stature of full grown men and women 
in Christ, they must go out of themselves in efibrts to 
do good. 

Do you ask where, and about what you should em- 
ploy yourself as a Christian? Why, in aiming at 
the correction of the world within, and the world 
without, only have a mind to work, and you will, in 
every possible situation, find work to do for Christ. 
Do you ask, what can I do ? The whole heathen 
world, nearly, is still unconverted. In your own land 
and country, are tens of thousands, sunk in the deep- 
est ignorance, and the slaves of the vilest sins. In 
your own families are those who are Christless and 
hopeless. The youth of your community are to be 
brought into the Sabbath-School and tniined for the 
church and heaven. Bibles are to be circulated, tracts 
distributed, the poor, sick, and dying, are to be vis- 
ited and aided, the burdens of your brethren are to 
be borne, the ignorant taught, the \Yicked warned, 
and the bewildered guided to Christ. You never go 
11* 



126 MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMENT 

about without having it in yoi^r power to do some- 
thing for Christ and souls. There is not a day in the 
year in whicli you may not, in some way, spread the 
empire of Christ. 

JSTow, every effort you make to do good, every 
exertion you put forth to spread the cause of God, 
either directly or indirectly, tends to strengthen and 
develop your own piety. Every time you exercise the 
gracious affections, you strengthen and spiritualize 
them. Every prayer you offer up for yourselves and 
others, increases the spirit and confirms the habit of 
devotion. Every time you trust the promises of God, 
your faith in God becomes stronger and more influen- 
tial. Every time you restrain your inordinate pas- 
sions, you make fresh attainments in Christian tem- 
perance. "We say that faith produces works. It is 
also true that works produce f^iith. How can the 
beneficent, active Christian be faithless w^hen he is 
constantly witnessing the triumphs of the gospel over 
men's hearts and lives ? Every new conversion that 
he instru mentally effects, is an ocular verification of 
the divinity of the gospel. Can he doubt, when God 
actually seconds and blesses his efforts to the salva- 
tion of others ? Christian ! do understand this mat- 
ter. Your faith in the atoning cross of Christ, first as 
a principle, prompts you to good v/orks ; and then 
efforts put forth, not only save souls, but strengthen 
your faith, intensify your love, and brighten your 
hopes. Upon this principle, in watering otliers, we. 
ourselves are refreshed. In this way efforts to dispel 



OF THE PIETY RECOMMENDED. 127 

darkness from other minds and other lands, scatter 
clouds from our own souls. In caring and doing for 
the happiness of others, we open in our own bosoms 
a pure fountain that will flow on when the heavens are 
no more. The best way to sanctify and refine our own 
hearts and characters, is to go out of ourselves and 
exert our powers, mortal and immortal, to save others. 

It is by forget ling this principle that many pastors 
fail to improve the piety of their members. They 
censure, they scold, complain, and lecture ; they 
preach on the great facts, doctrines, and promises of 
the gospel, and still their membership are comfort- 
less, useless, and lukewarm ; and why ? Mainly be- 
cause they are idlers in the vineyard of God. Verily 
this will never do. The members of our churches 
must be put to work for Christ, or they will not only 
not grow in grace, but grow in w^orldliness till expul- 
sion will be inevitable. Action ! action ! must be the 
bannered motto of every church, or its members will 
remain spiritual dwarfs. Let pastors generally do what 
the pastors of the German Baptist churches have 
done : find for each member a post of activity, and 
keep them at it, and then the needed reformation will 
commence. 

5. Another means of spiritual improvement^ is con- 
stant attention to the details of religion. The world's 
history slio^vs that all men who have been eminent for 
success in any department of life, have been men of 
pains taking detail. How do men ordinarily become 
wealthy ? By prudence and economy in htlle things. 



128 MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMENT 

Pounds are gaiued by saving the pence. How do 
men become learned ? Kot by one magic, mental 
effort, but by to- ling on through years, doing a mil- 
lion of little mental' drudgeries. What was one of 
the great secrets of that power by which Xapoleon 
conquered all Europe ? It was his power of detail. 
While his plans were vast, accurate, and daring, the 
part that every maishal, legion, captain, and company 
was to act, was so arranged as to subserve to victory. 
So with the Apostle Paul, the greatest and most suc- 
cessful man for good that God has ever made. His 
principles, plans, and efforts, were world-wide. He 
did more for the world's conversion than any man 
that has lived ; and yet in all his sermons and epis- 
tles, in all his efforts to save himself and others, there 
was a ceaseless circumstantial attention to eveiy cha'*- 
acter, every want, and every duty. So, too, with the 
Son of God while on earth. The beauty, glory, and 
cfBcacy of His character, consist in His having done 
great tilings occasionally, and attended constantly to 
the little incidents and duties of life. While the 
Redeemer now and then raised the dead, cast out dev- 
ils, stilled the sea, at the same time, the most pains- 
taking pastor, never equaled Him in filling up and 
adorning the small occasions and details of life ; and 
how is a great, beautiful, symmetrical, worldly cliar- 
acter, such as Washington's, formed ? They do not 
leap suddenly into maturity. Such characters are 
formed by long years of restraint, watchfulness, pru- 
dence, experience, and detailed virtues. Valuable char- 



OF THE PIETY RECOMMENDED. 129 

acters are built up like valuable houses ; first laying 
the foundation in principle, then adding virtue to vir- 
tue, adjusting principle to duty, supplying wisdom 
from experience, till it appears in its maturity. 

Now all this applies witli peculiar force to spiritual 
growth. In piety, advances in general are made by 
advances in particular. We can only attain religion 
in the aggregate by acquiring its details. We do not 
reach spiritual manhood by serving God in great 
things, on great occasions. We do not become 
Christ-like by being baptized, attending revivals, re- 
sisting great temptations, and performing great duties. 
The process by which our religious characters im- 
prove is the same as that by which they deteriorate, 
little and by little, step by step. One might as well 
attempt to read without attending to the combination 
of letters and the formation of syllables, as to learn 
the art of hoHness without cultivating the individual 
graces and duties of which holiness consists. ** For as 
words are the result of letters and syllables properly 
combined, so holiness is but the a2:Q:re2:ate of individ- 
ual graces harmoniously blended." Do you wish your 
spiritual gaiden to flourish, bloom with beauty, and 
yield fruit ? Be often in it, rooting up the noxious 
weeds of sin, and watching and watering the flowers 
of each grace. Dig about, enrich, prune, prop, and 
water with care the vine of each virtue, and you will 
attain to great Cliristiaa excellence. Is your faith 
growing weak ? Make it a point to have it increased 
by prayer to God and meditation on His word. Have 



130 MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMENT 

you declined in love to Christ ? Rest not till it is 
kindled into a flame again, by thinking of His love 
to you. Have you fallen into the habit of reading 
and hearing the truth of God formally and coldly ? 
Make no truce with your conscience till this heart- 
hardening and Spirit-grieving habit is broken, and the 
word of God is read and heard attentively, solemnly, 
and realizingly. Is some besetting sin gaining the 
mastery over you ? Make it your business to strive, 
watch, and pray against that sin till it is overcome. 
Are you deficient in Christian meekness, gentleness, 
and forbearance ? Study the character of the ador- 
able Saviour, until in these respects you have imbibed 
His spirit and copied His example. Have ill feelings 
found a place in your heart towards some one ? Be 
self-accuser till those feelings are dislodged from your 
bosom, and you have forgiven him. Do your thoughts 
wander in prayer ? " Watcb unto prayer," hold them 
to their duty by the curbing power of the will, till 
you acquire the difficult, yet indispensable habit of 
having your thoughts and feelings correspond with, 
and prompt your words in prayer. In fine, by com- 
paring yourself wdth scriptural precepts and examples, 
aim to find out all your defects in principle and in 
practice, and then, in God's strength and for God's 
glory, make the correction in every case. In this 
way you will grow, though slovfly yet steadily, not 
disproportionately, but symmetrically and essentially. 
By patient efibrt, make it the business of your life 
to overcome and abandon individual sins, and to ac- 



OF THE PIETY RECOMMENDED. 131 

quire individual graces. " Add to your faith virtue ; 
and to virtue knowledge ; and to knowledge temper- 
ance ; and to temperance patience ; and to patience 
godliness ; and to godliness brotherly kindness ; and 
to brotherly kindness charity." Now bring your dili- 
gence and prayers to bear on the correction of an evil 
habit ; anon to chasten an evil temper ; then to up- 
root a false principle and establish a true one. To- 
day marshal the soul's forces, and implore divine help 
to meet an affliction with patience ; and to-morrow to 
bear wrongs with meekness and losses with resigna- 
tion. Search the Scriptures with pare, resist temp- 
tations with firmness, enjoy the blessings of life with 
moderation, examine the heart with scrutiny, and dis- 
charge all the little duties of life with diligence, and 
by so doing you will grow in religion rapidly, harmo- 
niously, and beautifully. 

6. Another most important means of religious im- 
provement is watchfulness. Within us and around 
us are thousands of influences adverse and fatal to re- 
ligious growth. Of all plants ever reared, the plant 
of grace requires the most care and watchfulness. Its 
enemies infest the earth and the air. Hence he who 
would advance in piety must constantly keep his eyes 
and ears open. He must daily look within and around 
fixedly. He must tread along the narrow way with a 
cautious step, examining every doubtful thing by the 
standard of the Word. How often are we overcome 
of the tempter from prayerless inattention ! How 
vigilant must we be, what haste must we make, how 



132 MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMENT 

early and prompt must we be in all our plans and un- 
dertakings to forestall the great enemy of our souls ! 

The command " Watch and pray, that ye enter not 
into temptation," which Christ delivered in the gloomy 
garden of Gethsemane, should be heeded and obeyed 
by all who would be holy. Watch the first approaches 
of Satan and the occasions of his temptations. Every 
victory he gains over you increases his power, and 
diminishes your strength to resist him. Watch the 
motions a;id suggestions of the Spirit, or you may fail 
to secure His heavenly helps. Watch for opportuni- 
ties for doing good. They invigorate the Christian 
graces. AYatch the indications of divine providence. 
When these are observed, they increase one's faith 
and school him for usefulness and heaven. AVatch 
the heart. " Out of it are the issues of life." As is 
the heart, so will be the life and conduct. The char- 
acter is the embodiment of the feelings and senti- 
ments of the heart, be thev rip-ht or wrono:. There 
can be no growth in grace unless an attentive, scru- 
tinizing eye is kept upon the movements of the heart 
Hence, watch against evil thoughts ; they, when in- 
dulofed in, diflfuse the chills of death throuo-h the soul 
and can no more comport with spiiitual vigor than 
paralysis can comport with bodily activity. Watch 
against the risings of pride and ambition. By these 
angels fell. They must be suppressed, or all hope 
renounced of reaching the shininir heio^ht. Watch 
against anger, malice, and revenge. These repel from 
the bosom the blessed Sanctifier, and open the soul to 



OF THE PIETY RECOMMENDED. 133 

the devil, with his black train of guilt and woe. 
Watch against all rising of selfishness. This is the 
grand root of all siii. Unchecked, it will root all re- 
hgion out of the soul, and carse it to disappear from 
the conduct. Watch against impure imaginations. 
These pollute the soul, and render it averse to all re- 
ligious duties. 

Guard alsp most vigilantly your habits. Watch 
against habits of sloth. This evil will cut the sinews 
of our spirituality, and bind us down to earth. Watch, 
for the devil is watching to tempt and ruin you. The 
redeemed on earth and in heaven, God the Judo-e of 
all the earth, and Jesus the Mediator of the new cov- 
enant, are w^atching with intense solicitude your strug- 
gles after holiness. 

7. In order to reach a high grade of rehgion you 
must live hy system, No man ever succeeded in any 
thing important without system. In all God's works 
there is perfect order. One reason why some Chris- 
tians make such meager attainments in religion, is 
that they live at random. Like a ship on the ocean? 
without chart, compass, or destination, they are driven 
about by every wind of doctrine, and every wave of 
influence. The Christian of rule and principle, like 
the ship governed by its chart and compass, witli a 
bold front and swelling canvas, moves along the voy- 
age of life safely, to the haven of eternal repose. One 
great governing principle of the disciple of Christ 
should be, that his relicfion must be first — ^first in or- 
der of time, and first in importance ; everywhere and 
12 



134 MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMENT 

under all circumstances ; that every other interest is 
to be secondary to the service of Christ ; that if time 
falls short, the duties of the body and time are to 
yield to those of the soul and eternity. Living by 
this great rule, will simplify the life and give all its 
concerns a religious tendency. By adopting this prin- 
ciple, one will be guided in every perplexity and un- 
certainty ; know what he should pursue and what he 
should shun. Let me first know that a Christian has 
committed himself to this high gospel principle, and 
I will tell, with prophetical certainty, what he will do 
in every emergency. He will have time for religion. 
He will rise early, redeem the time, and be regular in 
his habits of devotion. He will be regular in his 
habits of studying the word of God, and in his attend- 
ance in the house of prayer. He will be " diligent in 
business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." He will 
have a mind and time to work for the Lord. He 
will be the staunch friend of Sabbath-Schools and re- 
vivals. In every issue between the powers of dark- 
ness and light, he will be on the side of light, dili- 
gently and boldly vindicating the truth. 

We w^ould then lay an emphasis, on system, as a 
means of religious growth. All who have attained 
eminence in religion, had a place for every duty, and 
a duty for every place. How did Baxter write so 
many books, preach so many sermons, and visit so 
constantly a large congregation ? By systematic in- 
dustry. So, only have a time and place for all your 
duties, religious and worldly, and be prompt in dis- 



OF THE PIETY RECOMMENDED. ' 135 

cliarging them ; only determine to meet in tlieir or- 
der the claims of God, your neighbor, and your soul, 
and you will have made rapid progress in correcting 
irreligious, and in forming religious habits. 

8. Once more : there can be no permanent relig- 
ious imjDrovement without perseverance. From the 
nature of the case there must be retrogression, or a 
perpetual lifelong warfare. Rehgion is not like a 
piece of carpentry, that we mnj suspend for a while, 
and then return and resume it at the same stage of 
forwardness, but like a voyage up a rapid stream — the 
moment we cease to ply the oar we are driven back- 
ward. In religion, not to proceed, is to draw back. 
It was a maxim of one of the mightiest of the an- 
cient generals, to regard " nothing done while there 
remained any thing to do.'' By acting on this motto, 
Caesar subjugated the known world. Amid ail who 
shine in the annals of redemption, none have copied 
so nearly the example of his Master as the Apostle 
Paul. No other Christian has made such high at- 
tainments in religion ; and one of the great secrets 
of his spiritual eminence, was his being governed in 
serving Christ by the same motto that Csesar was in 
war. The means by which he reached his high stand- 
ard of holiness he gives in these beautiful words 
" Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended ; 
but this one thino; I do, foro-ettino- those thino-s which 
are behind, ^ and reaching forth unto those things 
which are before, I press toward the mark for the 
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." 



130 MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMENT 

Up to the time be wrote these words, he had done 
more to save the world than all other men. He had 
surpassed all others in personal piety; yet all this 
be deemed unworthy of recollection, but pressed on 
to still greater attainments in grace and usefulness. 

In no other way, and upon no easier terms, can we 
reach the scriptural standard of religion. Half-hearted, 
sluggish exertions will never avail. Some sick per- 
sons may get well without taking medicine. Some 
soils will produce crops without cultivation, ^ow 
and then a man gets a fortune without industry ; but 
since the fall of Adam no one has ever become holy 
without perpetual vigilance, perpetual prayerful n ess, 
perpetual reference to the will of God, without per- 
petual self-restraint and attention to the eye of Him 
who seeth in secret. . . . All Scripture and experi- 
ence go to show that in order to attain hoKness, one 
must covet and pursue it more than riches, honors, 
and pleasures, and be willing to forego every thing for 
at. The mighty care must be fixed upon the heart 
from morning till night, swallow up every thing else, 
and lead to ceaseless diligence. It must be the firm- 
est purpose of the soul, that sin shall not have the 
dominion over us ; and if overcome by it, we must 
renew the conflict with increased prayerfulness and 
vigor, till we are victorious. Thirty years employed 
in mortifying a bad passion, and correcting a bad 
habit, should not be regretted. 

9. In sum, there must be earnest attention on all the 
means of grace. Other good books must not be read 



OF THE PIETY RECOMMENDED. 137 

less, but the Scriptures more frequently and solemnly. 
Nothing must prevent us fi'om repairing daily to our 
closets, where we must get down at the feet of our 
God and agonize and wrestle till He grants us a 
greater measure of His Spirit's influences. While at 
our daily business we must form the habit of breath- 
ing forth, at intervals, ejaculatory prayer. Such peti- 
tions, with the quickness of thought, shoot beyond 
the stars and bring down grace to help in every time 
of need. On every Lord's day, unless prevented by 
pressing necessity, go to the house of God, and while 
there, listen as for your life. In this way every ser- 
vice and sermon will strengthen in you the piinciples 
of grace. Suffer nothing to keep you from the meet- 
ings for prayer and church business, that would not 
keejo you from the bed of a dying child. Such meet- 
ings, when regularly attended, will contribute to the 
formation of your religious character. Permit no sense 
of unworthiness to keep you from the stated com- 
munions. In the penitential reception of these sim- 
ple emblems, tliere is obtained a sight of the sin-par- 
doiiinof, soul-subduinof cross, that is found nowhere 
else. When you associcite with judicious Christian 
friends, unbosom to them your difficulties and teujpta- 
tions. Their advice and instructions, and the accord- 
ance of their experience with your own, will greatly 
encourage you in the conflict after holiness and 
heaven. Keep on hand and read daily a portion of 
such books as Doddridge's Rise and Progress, Bax- 
ter's Saints' Rest, and James's Christian Professor. 
12* 



138 MEANS FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF PIETY. 

Sucli books, when attentively read, quicken the con- 
science, impress the heart, and inform the mind. Seek 
the companionship of the pious. Often put the ques- 
tion to yourself : Am I answering the end of my crea- 
tion ? Am I carrying out the end of my redemption ? 
Is the world receiving any benefit from my sojourn 
in it? Have seasons for deep fixed meditation on 
God, His character, government, kingdom, and on 
your obligations to Him. As though the ju(^gment 
were to-morrow, guard against every sinful thought, 
word, and action. By anticipation, place yourself 
frequently before the judgment-seat of Christ, and go 
over the whole of that tremendous process. Let your 
thoughts often dart forv/ard to those endless ages 
which will succeed that dread day. Cultivate the 
habit of seeing and adoring God in nature and in 
providence, as well as in His word. Read His hand 
and acknowledge His goodness in the seasons, in the 
fruitful showers, in the refreshments of sleep, and the 
pleasure of friendship. Hold communion with God 
in common things. Let the rich gifts of nature re- 
mind you of their Giver. In this way the ordinary 
mercies, scenes, and events around you will become 
mighty helps and incentives to religious growth. By 
thus attending to the means of grace, they will be- 
come channels of the grace of means to the soul. 



CHAPTER VI. 

MOTIVES WHICH ENFORCE CHRISTIANS TO HIGHER 
ATTAINMENTS IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 

Having seen tlie great cause of the slow progress 
of Christianity and pointed out the prevalent defects of 
modern Christians ; having then ascertained the par- 
ticulars in which our religion must appear in order to 
convince and convert the world, and then seen how 
such religion converts men to Christ ; and next pointed 
out the means of reaching such a standard of piety, 
it now remains that we display some of the motives 
and considerations which should urge us to its culti- 
vation ; and may the Holy Spirit aid the writer in the 
selection and enforcement of these motives. 

1. The first consideration we mention is, that a 
thorough development of the religious principle is the 
great end and purpose of God concerning His people. 
In the fall, the divine image was effaced from our 
souls. Now the great end that God has had in view 
in all that He has done in nature, providence, and 
grace, is to restore to us His lost image. At the cost 
of infinite pains and sacrifices. He has been seeking to 
erase from our souls the hideous likeness of Satan, and 
to beautify, ennoble, and save us, by impressing us 
again with His own forfeitei image. Did He deliver 



140 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

up His Son to deatli for us ? It was to remove, on 
His own part, the mighty obstacles in the way of 
maldng depraved man holy. Did He, on the grounds 
of Christ's mediation, send His Spirit into the world ? 
It was to destroy in us the dominion of sin, and make 
us partakers of His holiness. Did He inspire prophets 
and apostles to write His Word ? It vras tha,t that 
Word might be the great instrument of the Spirit in 
our sanctification. Were we from eternity chosen in 
Christ Jesus? It is "that we should be holy and 
without blame before Him in love." Did Jesus Christ 
give Himself for us ? It was " that He might redeem 
us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a pecu- 
liar people zealous of good works." For what does 
God predestinate, call, and justify us ? It is that we 
might " be conformed to the image of His Son." The 
Redeemer died, rose, ascended, and governs the uni- 
verse, that His people might be distinguished from 
mankind around them, and might differ from their 
former selves. That distinction and difference consist 
in true holiness. This too is the end of all the ap- 
pliances cf the church. Baptism symbolizes a death 
unto sin, and a resurrection unto newness of life. Of 
all perversions and corruptions of the mode and de- 
sign of this ordinance, unholiness in those who have 
submitted to it is the most eoTe2:ious. The desiofu of 
preaching, the Lord's Supper, brotherly admonition, 
advice, and reproof, prayer, and the reading of the 
Scriptures, is not so much to make us happy as to 
make us holy. The church that is not growing in 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 141 

holiness comes short of the great end of its organiza- 
tion. 

And what mean God's providences toward us ? To 
some He gives health, pecuniary success, blesses them 
in a partner for life, in children, in servants, in rela- 
tion^ friends, and neighbor ; in all of which He is 
seeMng to lead such to repentance. And what is 
repentance, but a heart-felt effort to abandon all sin 
and return to the favor and likeness of God ? From 
others He takes away health, property, and friends, 
and in so doing He is promoting their profit, that they 
might be partakers of His holiness. Whether He 
sends prosperity or adversity, whether He gives or 
withholds, %vlietber He realizes to us our brightest 
hopes or crushes them, it is to purify us and make us 
reflect more brightly the principles of His grace. In 
fine, all that God has done for us in nature, providence, 
and grace, is but means to an end, and that end is 
that we may be holy. 

But if the people of God are undistinguished from 
His enemies ; if they are as vain, ambitious, covetous, 
selfish, and prayerless as the multitude who are pro- 
fessedly irreligious, then the stupendous scheme of 
redemption has been planned and wrought for them 
in vain. The divine truths of the gospel have been 
brought to bear on them to no practical purpose. 
The Spirit's wooings have produced in them no fruit. 
The question then comes home to every professor of 
God's religion. Shall Heaven do all this for me in 
vain ? Shall I love and i^ractice sin, when Jehovah 



142 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

has done so mucli to make me hate and forsake it? 
Shall He be so diligent to renew and transform me, 
and I remain idle in my sins ? Has God loved me, 
Christ died for me, the Spirit striven with me, and 
angels watched over me in vain ? 

What is the true mission of life ? Why, as re- 
deemed sinners, are we in this world rather than not 
here ? Why are we converted and left in this state 
of probation for thirty or forty years ? Not to im- 
prove our farms, educate our children, and hoard up 
fortunes for them. Some rise higher, and make the 
istudy of the sciences and mental improvement the 
chief aim of life. This, though noble and important, 
falls vastly short of the end for which we have been 
created and redeemed. Others rise higher, and be- 
come patriots and philanthropists ; but neither the 
patriotism of a Washington, nor the philanthropy of 
a Howard constitutes the great work for which the 
Son of God ransomed His people from sin and hell. 
These are duties, but not the great duty of life. If 
nothing more than this is done we shall miss the 
great business of life, and frustrate the great designs 
of God in regard to us. Our chief mission on earth, 
compared with which every thing else dwindles into 
perfect insignificance, is to become thoroughly relig- 
ious. Jesus Christ occupies the throne of mediation, 
sends down the Spirit, and sends forth the ministry, 
that He may infuse in us and develop through us His 
own nature and Spirit. Never will He regai'd His 
w^ork in us as accomplished till through our coopera- 



I 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 143 

tion we are made to resemble Him in righteousness 
and true holiness. 

Ponder it well, Christian. The sublime end of 
your religion is not reached till your faith in Christ 
has transformed all your inner nature, and displayed 
[itself to the world in your tempers, words, and ac- 
[ tions. This is the prize for which you are a candidate, 
and it must be reached or you will do nothing to en- 
lighten and impress the world. It glitters before you. 
It is attainable. It is worth all things else. Possess 
it and you have heaven, whether you are in time or 
in eternity. Be fired then with the holy ambition of 
reaching it. Make it your chief and life-long business 
to become a full-grown Christian. However repeat- 
edly adverse influences may thwart you, hold on in 
one unbroken career of effort, and you will reach th 
Liofh distinction of beinof a marked and influential dis- 
ciple of Christ. While the world around us are cov- 
eting distinctions, let Christians, for whom there is a 
sure reward, be ambitious for distinction also in their 
vocation. While the learned are acquiring science 
after science, the honorable are increasing the splendor 
and distinction of their names, and the rich are add- 
ing possession to possession, let the child of grace, in 
God's strength, add knowledge to knowledge, grace 
to grace, till he shall have transcribed into his life the 
truth of God, and radiantly exhibited it before the 
world. In this way you will reach the end of life, 
and thereby regain more than you lost in Adam. 
2. A higher grade of religion is called for, to re* 



144 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

trieve, as far as ^yossiblc, the evil effects of our past 
inconsistence/. Lukewarm professors have done the 
cause of Christianity more harm than all the open 
enemies that have ever been arrayed against it. No 
one cause so mightily impedes the spread of the gos- 
pel, as the unholiness of its professed friends. No 
one thinks the less of religion, from what he sees in, 
and hears from, the avowedly irreligious. Who es- 
teems Christianity any the less because Hume and 
Paine attempted to prove it an imposition ; or be- 
cause some wicked neighbor swears and desecrates 
the Sabbath ? But far otherwise, when professed 
Christians depart not from iniquity. Their inconsis- 
tencies make the unbeliveing around them under- 
estimate Christianity itself. Thousands have rejected 
and risen in judgment agjunst the religion of the Bi- 
ble, on account of the flagrant contradiction between 
the profession and the conduct of its friends. 

Let the halt-hearted, worldly professor look over his 
life and he will see an amount of harm done to the 
cause of Christ, and to the souls of men, sufficient to 
embitter the balance of life, and produce, if possible, 
anguish in heaven. He will see instances in which 
his lukewarmness has made some infidels, and hard- 
ened others in hopeless iniquit}'. The covetous and 
self-indulgent will see that they have caused the way 
of truth to be evil spoken of, and the name of Christ 
to be blasphemed. The hard-hearted and close-handed 
will see that they have kept many from embracing 
the gospel, and made them think that religion is a 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 145 

delusion. The rnalicious and unforgiving will see 
that their example has encouraged the wicked in their 
way to destruction. And the lover of the wine-cup 
will see that he has led others into sins from which 
he can not now reclaim them. 

It is a fearful truth that unless our characters have 
been suflSciently religious to exert a positive influence 
for Christ, we have exerted an influence against Him. 
He who is not unmistakably religious is against Christ. 
There are no neutrals or moral blanks in the church 
of Christ, Every professor is a blessing or a bane. 
Every professed disciple, whether he designs it or not, 
is either swelling the tide that bears millions down 
to perdition, or he is drawing others after him in his 
heavenward march. How numerous the class who 
attempt to amalgamate the service of God and mam- 
mon. They are not for carrying matters too fax:. 
They attempt to occupy middle ground between 
Christ and Satan ; but really Satan desires no better 
troops than this class. The prince of darkness is 
quite willing that such valuable allies should remain 
in the church and retain the name of religion, as they 
thereby more effectually spread his empire, and the 
Lord Jesus prefers open hostility to such pretended 
friends. 

Here, then, arises a soul-moving motive to take 
sides with Christ, by being positively and strikingly 
religious. If the above position be true, then what 
infinite harm are many modern professors doing the 
religion of Christ ? How perfidiously have many 



146 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

misrepresented their Master, and bow fatally have 
they misled the world 1 But the past can not be re- 
called. We can not roll the wheels of time back- 
ward, and undo the effects of our unfaithfulness. No 
tears nor reformation can counteract the trains of evil 
we have put in motion. But if there be in us the 
smallest degree of the Christian principle, let us seek 
to be cleansed from the guilt of our unholy influence, 
and arise to Hfe and action. In God's might, let us 
" cease to do evil" by contradicting our profession, 
and "learn to do well" by adorning it. 

3. Consistency requires the disciples of Christ to 
he thoroughly religious. Consistency is acting in 
harmony with one's self. Consistency requires hon- 
esty in a steward, fidelity in a servant, kindness in a 
friend, and gratitude to a benefactor. So soon as we 
know what a man professes to be, we at once deter- 
mine what course of conduct becomes him. Now, 
when one professes the religion of Christ, he avows 
in the presence of heaven and earth, the intention of 
living a new and a better life. This is the very mean- 
ing of a profession of religion. A baptism is a sol- 
emn pledge to abjure all sin, and to follow after holi- 
ness in all things. The very name Christian implies 
this. The vow to avoid all that God forbids and do 
all that He enjoins, was recorded in heaven, ratified 
in baptism, and marked by the world. In declaring 
ourselves on the Lord's side, we proclaim that we are 
more, and intend to do more, than others ; and the 
church and the world expect that our lives will cor- 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 147 

respond with our profession. A profession followed 
by growth in grace, is religious consistency. But 
when one professes faith in Christ, and is in life and 
conduct unlike Christ, he is, of all inconsistent beings, 
the most inconsistent. 

However much we may deplore his conclusion, yet 
there is one encomium we must award to the intelli- 
gent infidel. He is consistent. He has examined the 
subject of Christianity, read the Bible, and weighed 
the arguments of our Butlers, Paleys, and Fullers, and 
come to the conclusion that the relio:ion of Christ is 
an imposition, and acts accordingly. True, his is an 
awful, fatal consistency. There is another class who 
have a speculative faith in Christianity, and yet live 
and act as if it were a fable. To their other crimes 
they add the high crime of inconsistency. At the 
last day I would rather stand charged with specula- 
tive, than with practical atheism. He who admits 
the truth and importance of the religion of the Bible, 
and yet thinks, feels, and acts as if it were neither 
true nor important, is guilty of an inconsistency that 
all the flames of hell will never expiate. 

But the lukewarm professor of religion is more in- 
consistent than the practical atheist. He sins against 
his convictions, his profession, his vows, and against 
Christ, and his brethen. In profession he has said 
that Christ is " All, and in All ;" that till the day of 
his death he means to love Him more than mother, 
father, children, or life itself, and yet by his conduct, 
he often says, " I know not the man." In profession 



148 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

he has died to this world, and become the citizen of 
another country, and the subject of another kingdom ; 
but in practice, he is as deeply engrossed in this world 
as those who professedly belong to it. Ceremonially, 
he is on the Lord's side ; in reality he is on the side 
of mammon. In precept he proclaims that the ser- 
vice of Christ is the soul's best portion, and at the 
same time affirms by his conduct that there is to be 
found something in the world more satisfactory. In 
practice, such a professor reverses the order and pria- 
ciples of his creed. The things which should be first, 
are last; and those are last which should be first. 
In his heart and habits, the body has assumed the 
place of the soul, earth of heaven, time of eternity, 
and self of God. 

Now of all moral nondescripts, of all marvelous 
solecisms, of all huge inconsistencies, such temporizing 
professors are the greatest. They are the wonders of 
all creation. They build up the cause of Christ with 
their mouths, and pull it down with their lives* They 
excite expectations to-day, but they disappoint them 
to-morrow. Now far better for all concerned that 
such had never named the name of Christ. In re- 
gard to the subject of religion, there are but two con- 
sistent characters. One is the downright infidel, and 
the other is the unmistakable, thorough, evangehcal 
Christian. Every intermediate character is a hideous 
anomaly. We call then on every friend of Christ to 
rise up to the high distinction of Christian consistency. 
Christian brother ! Jesus Christ sacnficed heaven and 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 149 

Himself for you. Consistency demands that you 
should zealously serve sucli a friend. Heaven and 
earth, good men and bad men, expect to see you en- 
tirely devoted to your Redeemer. Any thing short 
of flaming zeal in the cause and kingdom of such a 
Saviour, is as unreasonable as it is frustrating to the 
end of your redemption. Sin is the greatest foe of 
God and man ; it crucified the Son of God ; casts 
into the dnst the sacred honor of Jehovah ; kindles 
the flames of hell, and sinks the soul into endless per- 
dition ; and if so, does not consistency require us to 
watch, strive, pray, and repent till we shall have 
abandoned all sin ? If there be a hell, what else in 
the universe is more consistent than ceaseless diligence 
to escape it ? If there be a heaven, and if without 
holiness no one can be admitted into that pure world, 
what else is so legitimate, so becoming to a redeemed 
sinner, as constant, self-denying, vigorous efforts to 
acquire that holiness ? If the honor of Christ, for 
the vindication of which ten legions of angels would 
dart down from their thrones, has been committed to 
the churches, is not that Christian a traitor to his 
high trust who does not supremely and avowedly live 
and labor for its promotion ? If there is a sense in 
which the salvation of the unconverted around us de- 
pends upon our agency, then what do we in this world 
imless we are by our prayers, exertions, and exaniple 
seeking to bring them to Christ ? In sum, then, w^e 
see consistency in the infidel — soul-ruining consistency 
true it is. In the whole-heartod Christian we see the 
13* 



150 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

jewel of soul-saving consistency, but in every inter- 
mediate class tkere is a madness that astonishes all 
worlds. What a plea then is this for a radical refor- 
mation in our religion ! 

4. Another mighty motive that should induce us 
to make higher attainments in practical religion, is 
our usefulness to others. Both the Scriptures and 
experience show that our usefulness in the world is 
just in proportion to the grade of our piety. The 
mightiest means of moral influence is not wealth, or 
talents, or high social position, but a high standard 
of personal religion. This will as necessarily tell on 
those around us, as the mid-day sun diffuses over the 
earth light and heat. Effect will not more certainly 
follow its adequate caus?, than will the man who is 
manifestly the subject of God's grace become the 
medium of that grace to others. Christians who " are 
manifestly the epistles of Christ, known and read of 
all men," are the salt of the earth and the light of the 
world, in more senses than one. 

Take one such as the type of his class, and study 
his history through the world, and you will find that 
in all his multiform relations and conditions, he is in 
the hififhest sense a blessinof. View him as a citizen. 
He, and such as he, are the hope of this republic, 
more than our army, territory, or boasted form of 
government. The secret of our prosperity and per- 
petuity as a nation, is not our excellent constitution 
and model institutions, but the conservative influence 
of the tens of thousands of Christians that are scat- 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 151 

tered over our broad land. Their example restrains 
the influences that would otherwise rend this great 
nation into fiagments. Their prayers prop the aveng- 
ing skies. They stand in the breach, and hold back 
the impending judgments of an angry God. View 
him as a neighbor. He may be railed at and scorned. 
The old may call him a bigot, and the young may 
jeer him. Still his example will check vice and pro- 
mote righteousness. By his prayers he w^ards off 
from the guilty their merited doom. The wicked 
around owe him a debt of obligation that they can 
not estimate. JSTo greater calamity could befall such 
a community than the removal of this God-fearing 
man from it. He is to those with whom he mingles 
a living, unanswerable argument for the truth of 
Christianity. He silently rolls off reproach from the 
religion of Christ, and where he does not win to it 
men's hearts, he gains the suffrage of their judgments 
and consciences. He restrains the vicious, convinces 
the gainsay ers, encourages the good, and gradually 
produces moral renovation all around him. Follow 
him into his family. Here transpire, daily, scenes 
that angels linger to behold. By exemplifying before 
his household whatsoever things that are true, what- 
soever things that are just, whatsoever things that are 
honest, whatsoever things that are pure, whatsoever 
things that are lovely, whatsoever things that are of 
good report, by daily leading his charge to the fam- 
ily altar, by maintaining order and harmony without 
violence or severity, by mingling cheerfulness with 



152 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

devoutness ; in fine, by giving bis precepts the force 
of a consistent example, he will, with a moral cer- 
tainty, train his children for the nation, the church, 
and for heaven. View him as a onemher of the 
church. One spiritual, whole-hearted Christian in a 
church, is often more useful than a hundred ordinary 
professors. By the weight of his character, by his 
punctuality and liberality, by his love for the breth- 
ren, by his circumspect walk, by his labors and self- 
denials, he succors the tempted, strengthens the weak, 
confirms the wavering, reproves the careless, and pro- 
vokes the lukewarm to good works. With a church 
of such members, a pastor may storm Satan's seat. 
Every minister who understands his Master's work, 
would rather be the pastor of ten such members than 
of a hundred wealthy, self-indulgent members, who 
have a name to live while they are dead. Such a 
Christian wall be missed by the church when he dies. 
View him amid wrongs and persecutions. To the 
fretful, uncharitable, and unforgiving he is kind, calm, 
and meek. While the storms of furious passions are 
raging in the bosoms of those around him, he is tran- 
quil and serene. In this way he puts to silence ig- 
norant and foolish men, and wins those without. 
Behold him under losses and disappointments. His 
resignation and patience mightily convince the be- 
holder of the sustaining power of Christianity. Nor 
does his usefulness cease when he is sick and bed- 
ridden. We often misjudge, and suppose that when 
the child of grace is laid aside from his labors, ^hQ 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 153 

period of his usefulness has closed, when really, by 
his patience and calmness under his suffering, he often 
does more good than he did when he exerted himself 
openly and actively. The true Christian is never laid 
by. The influence that goes from him while lan- 
guishing, is often greater than when in the fullness of 
health he took the lead in each benevolent enterprise. 
It is on sick beds, and in the near prospect of death, 
that the sustaining power of Christianity is most strik- 
ingly displayed. Nor does the useful u ess of the Bible 
Christian termiuate with his life. After the grave has 
covered his form, " he being dead yet speaketh." His 
memory admonishes and encourages more powerfully 
than even his living example.* 

Would you then, upon the broadest possible scale, 
do good ; would you pass your days in the most use- 
ful manner, give the church and your generation, the 
greatest reason to bless God for your existence ; then 
determine in God's strength, that you will be a New 
Testament Christian. In no other way can you be a 
blessing to the world. 

5. Another consideration, urging to the attainment 
of elevated religion, is its moral beauty and attrac- 
tiveness. True believers may be unsung by poets, and 
unpraised by senators ; by worldlings they may be de- 
spised, and by witlings held in contempt ; still, noth- 
ing invests the human character with such moral dig- 
nity and loveliness, as the religion of Christ. It is not 
great talents, nor learning, nor splendid martial and 

* Melvill. 



154 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

civil achievements, that impart true honor to man. 
To stand his^h in the estimation of the moral universe, 
is to be regenerated and transformed by the Spirit of 
God. The only way to twine around your brow, un- 
dying laurels, is to copy the example of Jesus Christ. 
He only is great who is scripturally religious. Were 
men not blinded by sin they would see in Christ-like 
piety overpowering charms. It is supremely lovely 
in all. It decorates age and decrepitude. It is ex- 
quisitely attractive wben displayed by youth. It adds 
to their every natural accomplishment, gives a luster 
to their every excellence, and a charm to their every 
grace. This side of heaven there is nothing so lovely 
as a consistently religious youth. We admire the 
beauties of nature. The older we grow, the more are 
we enchanted by the rainbow. We gaze mth delight 
on the wonders of art, but God is our witness, we 
would go further to see the godly youth, to hear him 
tell of his hope in Christ, than we would to behold 
the grandest productions of nature and art. 

In the hour of conversion the formation of the 
Christian's character commences. The image of God 
is then enstamped on his soul, and shines out in pro- 
gressive beauty. In his life the loveliness of Christ is 
more and more manifested, till it matures into a beau- 
teous diadem for his brow, and invests his whole char- 
acter with a halo of glory. His exterior may be 
unlovely ; he may be unrefined ; without wealth and 
learning. He may live in some rude hut, unknowing 
and unknown ; still, angels are his companions and 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 155 

life-guards. Gabriel would leave his throne and pass by 
senates and palaces, to lift the cup to his thirsting lips. 
Ten thousand of these holy and mighty beings watch 
over him, sympathize with him, and rejoice over him, as 
a valuable addition to God's great kingdom of virtue. 
True, he may not be alhed to any of the great of earth, 
but he has God for his father, Jesus Christ for his elder 
Brother, and the Holy Ghost for his Sanctifier. He is 
a prince in disguise. His name may not be on the 
page of worldly fame, but it is recorded in the Lamb's 
book of Life. He may die unwept and unsung, yet 
over his dying couch waves the white banner of the 
Prince of life. His death is precious in the sight of 
the Lord ; and then at the judgment-seat of Christ, 
when scholars, poets, statesmen, and warriors, shall be 
overlooked, he will be singled out and crowned in the 
presence of the universe, and in heaven occupy a 
throne above the angels. 

How do all the glory of Greece and Rome, all 
the honors of earth's battle-fields, and earth's titles, 
pale before the brighter glory and honor of being a 
New Testament Christian ? Give me the high honor 
of wearing Christ's name, and what care I for the 
world's preeminence ? Living or dead, I can say, 
" Carve me not a line, raise not a stone, but leave me 
alone with my glory!''' Striking, growing, Christ-like 
religion is more lovely than any thing else known to 
men or angels. Is it attractive and pleasing to watch 
the magnificent building as it gradually rises from its 
foundation into completion ? How infinitely delight- 



156 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

fill then, to all good beings, to see the penitent sinner 
first lay the foundation of faith in Christ, and then 
add grace to grace, excellency to excellency, till he 
forms the superstructure of practical godliness. Is 
it charming to see in your garden, first the signs of 
vegetable life, then the expanding foliage, anon the 
opening bud, and then the swelling, ripening fruit ? 
Then how morally sublime to behold the trees of God's 
right hand planting, bearing first the bud and blossom 
of profession, and then the purpling, clustering fruits 
of the Spirit. To others besides the doting parents, 
it is deeply interesting to mark the development and 
growth of the physical and mental j)owers of the 
healthy infant : to see its tender limbs maturing, its 
reason dawning, acquiring by degrees the art of walk- 
ing and talkino', and gradually reaching manhood. 
So to God and all good beings, it is lovely to witness 
a new-born babe in Christ first yield obedience to 
Christ's positive commands, then aequiiing clearer 
vicAvs of truth and duty, now overcoming and correct- 
ing a sinful habit, anon resisting Satan's fiery darts ; 
further on, becoming meeker, and more patient, and 
resigned, amid wrongs and losses ; then coming out 
of a fiery trial with his faith strengthened, his love 
inflamed, and his deadness to the w^orld increased ; 
and thus on, till he attains to spiritual manhood. 
Such alight is more pleasing to God than any thing 
else that transpires in His universe. It is entertain- 
ing to walch a master artist sketch the rude outline 
of a friend's picture, and then by adding shade after 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. lo7 

shade, feature after feature, make that friend stand 
out on the canvas in life-like appearance. So what 
is more admirable than to bekold the disciple of Christ 
continuing to think of, commune with, pray to, and 
follow after, his great Model ; copying into his life 
and character, trait after trait, of his Saviour, until he 
"is changed into the same image, even as by the 
Spirit of the Lord ?" Such a sight rivets the admiring 
gaze of all heaven. We have seen the dark clouds 
gather around the morning sun as if to extinguish his 
beams, and fogs condense themselves as though they 
would shroud the earth from his inlluence ; but we 
have watched the orb of day as he rode up the skies, 
scattering the gloomy clouds, and after having dif- 
fused life over the earth, go down in floods of molten 
light. This was sublime and beautiful ; but far less 
so than the career of that Christian who, by faith, 
first turns to Christ the Sun of righteousness, and 
catches His brighness, and then on through life lets 
shine steadily that light in a consistent example, till 
it goes down in the West of a triumphant death, to 
rise again iu the undying splendor of the everlasting 
East. We record the deeds, sing the praises, and 
embalm the memories, of earth's great conquerors ; 
but what in point of brilliancy and usefulness are the 
victories of an Alexander, a Napoleon and a Wash- 
ington, compared with the Christian's conquest, who 
overcomes S:itan with his hosts, the world with its 
blandishments, and the flesh with its lusts ? 

Who in point of excellence can be compared with 



158 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

the Christian ? The rich ? But the believer owes all 
things. The honorable ? The child of grace has the 
honor that comes from God. The learned ? The be- 
liever is wise unto salvation. God Himself pronounces 
such more excellent than his neighbor, however dis- 
tinguished that neighbor may be. Nay, he stands 
higher than Adam stood before his fall. 

Would you then, Christian brother, occupy this 
high grade in the scale of being ; w^ould you have a 
character that will win the admiration of all classes 
and all worlds ; would you on earth be the highest 
style of man, and stand high at the great judgment 
day ? Then, in reliance on God's Spirit, see to it that 
you believe in Christ more strongly, love Him more 
ardently, and copy His example more closely. No 
higher encomium can be paid a human being ; there 
is no higher standard for any of God's creatures to 
reach ; no nobler epitaph can be inscribed upon the 
tomb of any, than that he was a Bible Christian. 

" Who would not be a Christian ? I have seen 
Men shrinking from the term, as if it brought 
A charge against them. Yet the honored name 
Is fall of gentlest meaning ; odors rise 
And beauty floats around it. 
Hark I 'tis the loftiest name the language " 
And all the languages in all the worlds 
Have none so sublime. It relates to Christ, 
And breathes of God and holiness, 
By the rich graces of the Holy Ghost, 
To fit them for the Paradise on high, 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 159 

Where angels dwell and perfect manhood shines 
In the clear luster of redeeming love 
Forever and forever ; and implies 
A son and heir of the eternal God^ 



6. Another argument for a higher degree of per- 
sonal religion is that it will promote a higher degree 
of happiness. Says Bacon, " Sin and sorrow are 
bound together by adamantine chains." God Himself 
can not break this connection. Hence man increases 
in misery as he increases in sin. It is upon this prin- 
ciple that the devil is the most miserable being in the 
universe, because he is the most depraved. 

So, on the othor hand, there is an inseparable con- 
nection between holiness and happiness. God is the 
most bappy being in the universe, because He is the 
most holy ; and the happiness of His people, the 
world over, is just in proportion as they resemble 
Him in righteousness and true holiness. Heaven is 
a world of supreme happiness because it is a world of 
supreme holiness ; and hell is a world of supreme 
misery, because sin is there fully developed. God has 
80 ordered it, that our comfort and well-being in this 
world can only be found in His service. For the last 
six thousand years mankind have been happiness- 
hunters. In all ages and lands the eager query has 
been, " Who will show us ^ny good ?" But ever}^ de- 
vice has been a failure. The recorded and unrecorded 
experience of all has been, " All is vanity and vexation 
of spirit." We can no more expect to find happiness 



160 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

in the pursuits and objects of this world than we may 

ex2)ect to find 

" Mellow grapes beneath the icy pole ; 

Blooming roses on the cheek of death ; or 
Substance m a world of unsubstantial shades." 

But in the likeness and service of Christ is found a 
happiness, pui'e, elevating, perennial, inexhaustible ; a 
happiness that will go with us in all conditions, all 
lands, and all worlds. 

Whv then, if Christiamty in document is adapted 
to impart to its friends such peace, are there so many 
professors disquieted in spirit — barassei by misgiv- 
ings and fears i They who ought to be the happiest 
people out of heaven, seem in some instances to be the 
most depressed and gloomy ; and what should be 
added in this connection is, that this unhappiness in 
professed Christians not only unfits them for extensive 
usefulness, but gives religion a repulsive aspect to 
those without. Since, then, unhappiness is so preva- 
lent among the avowed friends of Christ, and since 
this want of happiness has such a detrimental efiect 
on them and the irreligious, why, it is most seasonable 
to ask, do such Christians find so httle pleasure in re- 
ligion ? Surely in this matter they are not straitened 
in God. What more could He have done and said 
than He has done and said to give His people occa- 
sion and grounds for joy ? The truth plainly told is, 
that after making some allowance for the influence of 
morbid temperaments, the great cause of all this sad- 



I 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 161 

ness and depression in the churches of Christ is the 
small degree of their religion. The only reason why 
they are disconsolate, is because they "fullow the 
Lord afar off." An old writer has said, " A little re- 
ligion will make one miserable, and much will make 
one very happy." One single uncrncified, unberaoaned 
sin, will not only destroy all religious enjoyment, but 
open the soul to the devil, with his whole black train 
of guilt and misery. " This little hand," (said White- 
field, placing his hand near his eyes, while preaching 
in an open field,) '' will hide the luster of the sun from 
my eyes, so one small sin will shut out from the soul 
the life-giving beams of the Sun of Eighteousness, 
and leave it involved m darkness." It matters not 
what this sin is. Any one sin habitually indulged in, 
whether it be pride, malice, backbiting, covetousness, 
filling the mind with unholy images, or murmuring 
imder adverse providences, will exclude from the soul 
all religious enjoyment. As well expect the sun's 
rays in a daik day, as to hope for the consolations of 
Christ without purposing and striving against all sin, 
and aiming in all our views, feelings, and actions to 
please God. In whose heart will God be more likely 
to shed abroad His soul-refreshino- love than in the 
heart of the man who follows Ilira most fully ? 
Whose mornings will be bright, noons calm, and 
evenings serene, if not the man's whose daily aim is 
to bring his inner and outer life to accord with God's 
will ? Aft^r all, the great secret of being happy is 
to be holy. He who grows in practical religion has 
14* 



162 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

opened within and without a thousand sources of 
true bhss. The joy arising from harmony between 
the passions and the conscience — the joy arising from 
victory over inward and outward foes — the joy arising 
from new views of divine truth — the joy arising from 
usefulness — the joy arising from communion with 
God — the joy arising from the approbation of God — 
the joy arising from the Spirit's gracious influences — 
the joy arising from the study of natuie, providence, 
and the Scriptures — and the joy arising from a well- 
grounded hope of heaven, all belong to the man who 
" grows in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ." The golden fruit of hap- 
piness grows only on the tree of holiness. If happi- 
ness is sought in any other way than by being holy, 
it is sought in vain. We owe it to ourselves, to the 
world aroimd us, and the honor of Christ, to rejoice 
in the Lord. But the only w'ay to rejoice in the 
Lord is to be like the Lord. Joy springing from any 
other source is a delusion. 

To all the sad and gloomy professors of Christ's 
religion, then, we would say, Would you have spring 
up in your soul the joy of the Lord ? would you have 
all within become peace, and all before you become 
transport ? w^ould you have God the Father smile on 
you in the fullness of His forgiving love, God tlie Son 
take up His abode with you and become precious to 
you, and God the Spirit descend upon you with His 
comforting and dove-like influences ? Would you be 
enabled to look forward to the judgment-throne and, 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 163 

see no terror there ? and would you sing a cheerful 
song in tlie house of your pilgrimage ? Then deter- 
mine that you will attain to more than customary re- 
ligion ; forget the things tliat are behind, and press 
toward the measure of the stature of a perfect Chris- 
tian. Fast, pray, read, strive, and watch, till the im- 
age of Christ is impressed more deeply on your soul, 
and shines more brightly in your life ; then, and not 
till then, will you " have a heaven begun below." 

7. Another argument for a higher standard of relig- 
ion among our churches, is that such a standard is 
the best proof of a gracious state. Deception in relig- 
ious concerns is as common as it is ruinous. Per- 
haps never in any age, since the days of inspiration, 
were there more deceived in their hopes for eternity, 
than there are in this age. Let any one observe the 
wide discrepancy between the Christian character, as 
it is drawn in the Scriptures, and as it appears in ac- 
tual life, and he will be convinced of the truth of this 
statement. What says Christ ? " Many shall come 
unto Me in that day, and shall say. Lord ! Lord ! and 
I will profess unto them I never knew you." In the 
light of God's Scriptures we are forced to the conclu- 
sion that very many bearing the name of Christ, are 
going down to the grave " with a lie in their right 
hand," and instead of meeting, as they expect, the 
smiles of angels, and the plaudits of the Redeemer, 
will hear the thunders of wrath and the wailings of 
the lost. 

Are there, then, on this side of the grave, attain- 



164 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

able, infallible evidences of our adoption into tbe di- 
vine family and heirship to heaven ? There are. We 
need not die and go all the way to the judgment-seat 
to find out whether we are in a saved state. We may 
as certainly test our religious characters, and know 
what will be our condition in eternity, as if we heard our 
doom from the lips of the final Judge. What are these 
unmistakable marks of salvation ? There are many, 
but there is one, more to be depended on than all oth- 
ers ; and without which all others are delusive. On 
it, our Lord and His apostles laid great stress. What 
is it ? Xot that we have had high-wrought and joy- 
ful feelings. Not that we are sound in the faith, and 
have " kept the ordinances as they were delivered un- 
to us." Judas, Demas, and Alexander, were baptized. 
Not in zeal and in the pronunciation of party shib- 
boleths. All these may, or they may not be tests of 
a saved state. These are too easy and common to be 
distinguishing. In many instances they are counter- 
feited. But the evidence in question is unerring. To 
possess it, is to be a Christian, as certainly as the Bible is 
the word of God. This proof is heart-felt, filial, and im- 
partial obedience to the will of God. Not more cer- 
tainly does a pm-e stream prove the existence of a pure 
fountain, and good fruit, the goodness of the tree, 
than does a striking religious life prove the existence 
of the rehgious principle. From other causes than a 
di\iue influence, one may have joy. From fifty other 
motives^ besides the love and glory of God, one may 
be moral in the worldly aspects of his character. 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 165 

Other considerations than a spirit of obedience, may 
induce one to be baptized. But nothing in the uni- 
verse, but God's grace as its principle, and God's glory 
as its motive, can induce ore to live a holy life. Light 
and heat, in the natural world, do not more clearly 
prove the existence of the sun, than does Christ-like 
holiness, in the life, prove the genuineness of our faith 
in Christ. To the great question, then, Who are 
New Testament Christians ? we reply, only those who 
resemble Christ in their lives and characters. 

The great reason why so many professors walk in 
darkness and are oppressed with doubts, is not be- 
cause they have ill health and morbid temperaments, 
but because of the low type of their religion. A small 
degree of religion, whether in ourselves or others, is 
scarcely perceptible. To be discernible, it must be 
vigorous in principle and in life. Hence all other 
evidences of a state of grace, are fallacious if they are 
unaccompanied by personal holiness. It' from month 
to month, and from year to year, there be no improve- 
ment in the Christian hfe, then must our case be dark 
and doubtful. Whatever zeal we may display in de- 
fending our creed, however well we may converse upon 
religious subjects; no matter how much we may en- 
joy ourselves under preaching and in religious con- 
versation ; whatever bright discoveries we may hav^e 
had concerning Christ ; however confident we may 
be of our acceptance with God ; if still, our hearts 
are set on gain ; if we are engrossed in the world ; 
are aspiring after its honors ; are proud, discontented, 



166 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

revengeful, slothful, sensual, unfeeling, vain of our at- 
tainments, uncharitable in our estimates of others ; if 
we refuse to give of our substance to the cause of 
Christ, or give leanly and grudgingly, then have we 
" a name to live while we are dead." Or, if we have 
any religion at all, it is but a spark buried under the 
ashes of our idle altars."* 

Still more doubtful is our case if, instead of advancing 
in holiness, we decline. Christians may be overtaken 
and fall into great sins. Thus did David and Peter. 
This is dreadful ; but when followed by repentance, 
such falls are less unfixvorable than that regular declen- 
sion which admits of no intervenings of warmth. Pleu- 
risy and pneumonia may kill ; certainly they greatly 
alarm and endanger life ; but often they soon pass 
away and give place to returning health. Whereas, 
consumption, though its attacks are gentle, gradual 
and unperceivable, always ends in death. ISTow I will 
not say that the hectic in religion is hopeless ; but it 
must be allowed on all hands that the chances are 
fearfully against him. Remaining stationary, and 
still more, declining in religion, is a melancholy proof 
that we are not religious. On the other hand, regu- 
lar progress iu the various graces is, in the estimation 
of God, others, and ourselves, the best testimony of 
Christian character. Our evidences of grace are just 
in proportion to our growlh in grace. 

Would you then, disciple of Christ, answer affirm- 
atively the great question, "Am I a Christian!" — 

* Dr. Dwight 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 167 

would you liave an evidence of your religious stato 
that will displace every doubt ? Would you have a 
proof that is scriptural, satisfactory, and reasonable — 
one that will stand the test of examination, the test 
of affliction and death, and the severer test of the 
great day of judgment ? Then with the Bible in your 
hand, the world around you, and eternity before you, 
seek to correct all in you that is wrong, and confirm 
all that is right. Aim every day to copy more close- 
ly the example of Christ ; to make more and more 
apparent and attractive. His image, in your life and 
character. Let it be your chief work, under the 
sun, to bring all your feelings, sentiments, habits, and 
plans, under the control of the religious principle. 
Make Christianity the great business-guide and orna- 
ment of your life. Strive, read, watch, hear, restrain, 
and pray, till it mingles with and sanctifies all your 
secular affairs ; sheds its pure and celestial tints over 
the whole of your character, leaving nothing about 
you unirradiated with its beams. 

Living thus, the Father and the Son will^ take up 
their abode with you ; the Spirit will bear witness 
with your spirit that you are a child of God ; you will, 
from your own experience, know that the gospel ^'s 
from God, and that you are savingly interested in it, 
and your religion will become to you, and to others, 
a self-evidencing reality, causing you to exclaim, in 
view of death and eternity, " I know whom I have 
believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep 
that which I have committed unto Him against that 



168 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

day." And your neighbors, from beholding you, ^vill 
exclaim, Let us live the life and die the death of the 
nVhteous. 

o 

8. A high grade of personal religion is the most 
suitable and acceptable return we can malce to Christ 
for what He has done for us. Christian I how much 
owest thou thy Lord ? Explore the archives of an- 
tiquity, drain the historic page, take the wings of an 
ano^el and fly to distant worlds, and you can find no 
love and kindness like that which Jesus Chiist has 
displayed toward you. Unasked, unsolicited, with- 
out respect to your merits or desires, He came into 
the world and placed Himself in the very gap between 
you and ruin. For you He exchanged the. honors and 
bliss of the great white throne for the humiliations of 
Bethlehem, and the agonies of Gethsemane and Gol- 
gotha. He became poor, that you through His pov- 
erty might be rich — ^how rich you can neyer know in 
this world. In the gloomy garden He drank, at the 
hands of His Father, the wrath-cup which would have 
been pressed to your lips through eternity. On the 
cross He died a death of which it is fearful even to 
read, that you might not die that second death that 
never dies. In sum, look backward, and think what 
He has done for you ; look upward, and think what 
He is now doing for you; and look forward, and 
think what He will do for you. Your pardon, your 
justification, your reconciliation to God ; your peace 
of min(J, your hope of heayen, your triumph in death, 
your admission into Paradise, your glorious resurrec- 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 169 

tion, jour being crowned at the great day, and your 
occupying a throne in heaven, have all been secured 
to you by»the death and intercession of Jesus Christ. 
O if in the universe there ba such a thing as obliga- 
tion, then are the redeemed under the most soul-mov- 
ing obligation to the Redeemer ! Christian brother ! 
in the hour of your conversion, when you dropped the 
dreadful calculation of endless sorrow, and cherished 
for the first time the hope of heaven, you asked, and 
are still asking, " Lord, what wilt thou have me do ?" 
" AVhat shall I render unto the Lord for all His bene- 
fits ?" How shall I make some returns to Him ? 

You owe it to Him to love Him more than father, 
mother, wife, children, or life itself. The dearest 
earthly friend should give place to Him in your heart. 
You owe it to Him to repose in Him an implicit, 
trustful, penitential, life-long faith. The highest grati- 
tude that ever throbbed in the most affected heart you 
should constantly cherish toward Him. Praise as 
sweet as the breath of love and loud as the echo of 
His fixme, you should offer Him. You owe it to Him 
to speak of Him and exert yourself to promote His 
cause. But all this, though acceptable, is not the 
most acceptable offering you can make. The most 
approved offering you can make Him is holiness of 
life. Thanksliving is far more pleasing in His sight 
than thanksgiving. Without holiness no man can 
please Christ. Your service in every other respect 
will be unacceptable to Him so long as you crucify 
Him afresh with one habitual sin. Your faith aud 
15 



170 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

hope are spurious so long as you hurl at His heart the 
spear of UDbemoaned lusts. The love that He ap- 
proves is that which leads you to keep His comraand- 
menis. The faith that pleases and honors Him is 
that vital principle that sanctifies the heart and char- 
acter. The gratitude that He values is not that which 
exhausts itself in intense feelings, but that operative 
emotion that prompts us to be " holy, harmless, un- 
dcfiled, and separate from sinners," as He was. The 
baptism that He accepts is that which symbolizes a 
death unto sin, and a resurrection unto newness of 
life. The prayers that He hears and answers are pe- 
titions for gTace to resist sin and follow after holiness. 
We w^ould not be misunderstood. We would not 
make holiness take the place of Christ's death. That 
were to subvert the whole gospel, offend God, and 
make our perdition sure ; but holiness, as the devel- 
opment of our faith in the atoning cross, is an indis- 
pensable part of gospel salvation, and is infinitely 
pleasing and honoring to Christ, because in the sanc- 
tification of His people He achieves the great end for 
which He died. In the economy of our redemption 
has He not inseparably joined together justification 
and sanctification ? And is not the latter just as es- 
sential to our admission into heaven as the former ? 
The truth is, no doctrine is in this age so unpopular 
and so much overlooked as the subject of holiness. 
How few books and sermons urge it wath any promi- 
nence I Writers and preachers are sensitive lest in 
the world's estimation they put forth a legal gospel. 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 171 

Now in this particular we must return to the first 
principles of the gospel. Shall we cease to proclaim 
and practice it because Papists and legalists have per- 
verted it from its scriptural connection ? Was not 
holiness a great theme of Christ's ministry ? How 
constantly and fully do the apostles urge it in their 
epistles ! And is it not upon one page of God's book, 
in letters of living light, written, " Without holiness 
no man shall see the Lord .^" This is one of the great 
unbending laws of Christ's religion, peculiar to no 
land or age ; but everywhere, in all lands and ages, 
for the city and the country, for the refined and the 
rude, for the ministry and the laity, it demands as an 
indispensable condition of Christian discipleship that 
there be an abandonment of all sin, and a striving 
after universal and perpetual holiness. 

Would you then have a religion after the mind and 
model of Christ ? Would you give a proof of the 
genuineness of your love and faith, that both God and 
men demand of you ? Would you attain the great 
end Christ had in dying for you ? Nay, would you 
give joy to the heart that bled for you on the cross ? 
Then seek to be in reality and in appearance more 
scriptu rally religious. 

9. Another plea which must tell is, that most men 
form their opinions of Christianity itself from what 
they see in the spirit and conduct of its professors. 
But few irreligious persons study and form their views 
of Christ's religion as it is revealed in the Scriptures 
and exemplified in its Author. To the busy, faithless 



172 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

world, the Bible is an antiquated, repulsive abstraction. 
Thousands never read it. Others read it to cavil. 
After all, mankind are but little impressed with the 
fact that Jesus Christ died and arose again, and com- 
manded the apostles to preach the gospel to every 
creature. They never investigate, and consequently 
are not convinced by the mighty array of evidence 
that attests the truth of Christianity. But the mass 
of mankind do canvass Christianity as it appears in 
the Hfe of its friends. The life and conduct of Christ's 
disciples is an epistle " known and read of all men." 
Every Christian's life is a volume read and studied 
throuo^h and throuo-h. Most men care not for the 
apparent discrepancies in the Scriptures, but every 
discrepancy in the example of the Christian, every 
blot and blur, every real and apparent contradiction 
in the living epistles, is by them scrutinized with the 
deepest interest. 

From different motives different classes read and 
scan Christians. Though in so doing they act on a 
principle they repudiate in every thing else, one class 
persist in judging Christ and His religion by Chris- 
tians, and not Christians by Christ and the Scriptures. 
With a shrewdness sharpened by enmity, they eagerly 
watch the tempers and conduct of Christians, not to 
remove but to confirm their prejudices. Though 
steeped to the lips themselves in profligacy, w^henever 
they detect some minor fault in the friends of Christ, 
they exultingly proclaim that such are fallen from 
grace. Now woe to this class if professors of religion 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. l73 

continue to give them occasions to stumble. On ac- 
count of the imperfections of Christ's friends they will 
reject Christ Himself, and inherit the death they seek. 
Another class mark and study your temper and con- 
duct from feelings of curiosity. Others observe you 
that they may detect your inconsistencies, and there- 
by justify and confirm their infidelity. But from far 
difierent motives do most of the impenitent read your 
life. Some are honestly halting, whether to embrace 
Christianity, from a secret skepticism. They watch 
you that they may hear something from you and see 
something in you that will remove their difficulties, 
and decide them for Christ. Accordingly, they will 
incline to the side of infidelity or to the side of Christ, 
as the conduct of Christians impresses them favorably 
or unfavorably. In settling the great question whether 
Christianity is true or an imposition, the only standard 
they will accept and appeal to is the consistent life 
of Christians. Thousands of skeptics and semi-skep- 
tics are saying to the churches, Give us example as well 
as precept — a holy life as well as a sound creed ; let 
us behold your religion transform your every-day life 
and character, and we will at once embrace your Mas- 
ter and espouse Ilis cause. And then what a num- 
ber of persons, more or less awakened, look alone to 
the professors of religion around them for instruction 
and encouragement. Many a young convert, in de- 
termining w4i ether he has been converted, not only 
appeals to the experience of some older Christian, but 
his manner of life for his model. The unbeheving 
15* 



174 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

husband will be convinced of the truth of Christianity, 
not so much from what he reads and hears. He 
forms his views of religion from the temper and con- 
duct of bis professing wife. The child forms its views 
of religion, not so much from what it hears in the 
pulpit or in the Sabbath-school, as from the temper 
and demeanor it sees in its parents. The only repre- 
sentative that Christianity has in many a neighbor- 
hood is a small church. In other communities there 
are only a few of Christ's friends. Tbe appreciation 
in which such communities hold Christianity will be 
just in proportion as such Christians evince the spirit 
of Chi is t in their walk and conversation. In many a 
feimily the only exponent and witness of Christ and 
His religion is a wife, daughter, or servant. Such 
families will take their type of belief or disbelief in 
religion from the manifestations of it they behold in 
these professors. 

What mighty interests, then, depend on the man- 
ner in which Christians demean themselves ! No 
other beings in any other world are the depositories 
of such a vital trust. Every step the Christian takes 
is pregnant with results that take hold on eternity. 
He is shut up to the alternative of blessing the world 
by his faithfulness, or blasting it by his inconsistency. 

In this item, then, here is the sum of our plea for 
a higber grade of religion. If those around us will 
bo made the friends or foes of Christ, according as 
our representations of Him are accurate or inaccu- 
rate : if our beino; unhke Christ will make men think 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. l75 

ligl:itly of Him, and if on the other hand, the more 
closely we imitate Him, the more highly will they es- 
teem Him ; if on the on^ hand by violating our pro- 
fession we make infidels, and repel them from Christ, 
and on the other by adorning it^ we most effectually 
convince and wiu them to Christ, then " what manner 
of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation 
and godliness ?" Disciples of Christ ! the most im- 
portant of all interests are committed to you. Do 
not by your lukewarmness betray them. Be blame- 
less and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, 
in the common affairs of life, and you will bear for 
the truth a more eloquent testimony than those who 
went to the martyr's stake. " The world will then 
take knowledge of you that you have been with 
Christ." 

10, Regard, for God's glory requires us to he emi- 
nently religious, Nothing that good men and angels 
are, or can do, can add one gleam to God's essential 
glory ; nor can the depravity of bad men and angels 
diminish it. But it is otherwise with God's declara- 
tive or manifestative glory. This, wicked men can 
binder and tarnish ; and righteous men can maintain 
and promote. In this sense, believers, throughout 
the Scriptures, are required to glorify God. Wliat 
mean such commands as these ? " Let your light so 
shine before men, that they may see your good works, 
and glorify your Father which is in heaven." " For 
ye are bought with a price ; therefore glorify God 
in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." 



1 i b moti\t:s to higher attainments 

" Beins: filled with the fruits cf no-hteousness, which are 
by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God,^ 

All God's work's glorify Him ; but the blazing of 
a thousand suns reflects not so brightly His honor, as 
the transformation of one sinner from sin to holiness. 
One instance of sound conversion, and progressive 
sanctification, secures to God's name a richer revenue 
of praise than all that shines above and blooms be- 
neath. On such a mind the imao^e of God is en- 
stamped ; in such a life the beauty of God shiues ; 
and in such a character the loveliness of God is be- 
gun. The creation of worlds and the revolution of 
empires, are trifling displays of God's power and 
glory compared wuth the deliverance of one immor- 
tal soul from the ruins of the fall. Henceforth he 
becomes a specimen of redeeming grace,, a valuable 
accession to the great kingdom of love; an efficient 
medium of salvation to the lost ; a loud proclaimer 
of God's praise ; a beautiful vessel of God's mercy ; 
an illustrious trophy of the Redeemer's cress, and a 
bright gem in His mediatorial crown. 

But to attain the high privilege of thus honoring 
Christ, it is not enough that we be regenerated. In 
addition to this, we must "go on unto perfection." 
In religion we do not glorify Christ so much by what 
we believe, profess, and say, as by what we are, and 
appear to be. Says Christ, "Herein is my Father 
glorified, that ye bear much fruit." We must abound 
in the fruits of the Spirit, in order to raise our Re- 
deemer in the esteem of the world. The more briirht- 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 177 

]j the -sun shines, the more strikingly does it declare 
the glory of God ; so the more elevated and obvious 
our religion is, the more honor do we bring to Christ. 

To Christians, in a peculiar sense, is committed the 
vindication and completion of Christ's honor, in this 
revolted world. If faithful to this highest of all trusts, 
all heaven will exult, and souls around us will be saved. 
But if by our unholiness we compromit the honor of 
our ascended Lord, then will there be triumph in the 
ranks of darkness, and the salvation of the world be 
mightily hindered. Compared with the honor of the 
Saviour, every thing else is lighter than vanity. Xoth- 
ing else is so sacred and precious. Ten thousand 
eager angels would at the least signal rush down from 
their thrones for its vindication. The Christian who 
does not have a holy jealousy for his Lord, who does 
not mourn when his Master is dishonored, and rejoice 
when He is exalted, is not worthy of his name. 

What a motive this, for us to adorn the doctrine 
of God our Saviour in all things ! We can neither 
preach nor write aw^ay the reproach that has been 
cast on Christ's name and cause. The only w^ay to 
do it is to exhibit steadily and brightly a religious 
example. Let this most mighty of all weapons, then, 
be wielded for Him. Hundreds are questioning His 
divine character and power. Let us, both by precept 
and example, make a bold stand for Him against such 
contemners- All around us are infidels in theory, and 
more in practice, who are casting upon His adorable 
character the imputation of falsehood, casting His 



178 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

sacred honor in the dust ; nay, laboring in mad en- 
mity to extinguish the last ray of His glory from the 
earth. Let us oppose such a heresy with high-toned 
personal religion, and such infidels will at once en- 
counter an argument they can not answer, and a re- 
buke they can not withstand. In this way the saints 
of all classes may become champions of Heaven's in- 
sulted honor. Many profess Christ's name, and then 
by their daily conduct say " we know not the man." 
Of all classes they wound Christ most deeply. Their 
lives tend to prove Jesus to be an impostor, and His 
religion an imposition. Let us so imbibe and display 
the spirit of Christ, that the testimony of such traitors 
shall be rebutted and neutralized. Despite of such 
betrayers, let the majority of Christ's friends live 
for Him, and the world will be speedily converted. 
Another class defame the divine government, impeach 
God's wisdom, impugn His goodness, and complain 
and repine under adverse providences. Let the friends 
of God roll off this reproach by displaying before such, 
an example of patience, submission, and cheerfulness 
under all the losses, trials, and crosses, with which 
they may be visited. Others are enemies to God by 
wicked works. They blaspheme His name, profane 
His Sabbaths, contemn His Word, vilify His people, 
and heap contempt on His ordinances. Such glory 
in dishonoring the God of heaven. They array them- 
selves under the black banners of Apollyon, and hurl 
defiance at their Maker. There is a way to disarm 
these enemies to the divine throne of their hostility ; 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 1*79 

and that is to reflect before them the Spirit and image 
of Christ in our life. The secret of conquering such 
foes for our King is to imitate that King in our man- 
ner of living. But most deeply and tenderly do men 
dishonor God by rejecting His only begotten Son. 
No other insult equals this. This is to pour contempt 
on His character and throne. No other wrong from 
puny man is so unprovoked, and so frustrating to the 
designs and glory of God. Now, whole-hearted Chris- 
tians have it in their power to do much towards over- 
coming this great sin. In no other way can we so 
effectually convince men of the guilt of unbelief, and 
induce them to belie^ve in the Lord Jesus Christ, as 
by showing them our faith by our works. Faith em- 
bodied is the most powerful refutation of skepticism, 
and the most resistless plea for embracing the world's 
Redeemer. So that if we would honor our God and 
Saviour upon the broadest possible scale, do more to 
recover to Him the glory of which the fall defrauded 
Him, than the shining of all the suns, and the shout- 
ing of all the angels ; then we must make it our chief 
business on earth to conform our lives to Christ our 
Pat-tern and Exemplar, as well as to trust Him as our 
atoning sacrifice. 

II. A high standard of personal religion has a 
most intimate and happy hearing on our manner of 
dying. Nothing is more desirable than that we should 
die calmly and triumphantly. Such a death greatly 
honors God, convinces tlie unbeliever more effectually 
than sermons, is peculiarly encouraging to other Chris- 



180 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

tiacs, and is an unutterable joy to the dying saint him- 
self. Such a departure out of time into eternity, is a 
mighty, tangible illustration of the truth and import- 
ance of Christianity, useful to others, and "precious 
in the sight of the Lord." Such Christians as Pay- 
son, Boardman, and Pearce, did much for the cause 
of Christ by their manner of living; but it may be 
well questioned whether they did not do more for 
that cause by their manner of dying. An entrance 
into the kingdom above, like that of Payson's, so 
radiant, so glorious, so triumphant, will tell for the 
honor of Christ and His religion, through all time. 
What are all the honors, the riches, and pleasures of 
earth, compared with such an end ! Who would not 
part with all the gold of earth's mines, all the pearls 
of earth's seas, and all the crowns of earth's king- 
doms, to die such a death ? Such a death the Apostle 
Paul desired more than the continuance of life. His 
great concern was " to finish his course with joy !" 
x\nd such a death all should supremely desire, an<l 
aim to attain unto. 

But how can we make our life thus end? Are 
such deaths the sovereign vouch safements of God's 
grace, irrespective of the life and character of those 
who die them ? We think not. We believe men 
generally die as they hve. If any die a safe, triumph- 
ant death, after having lived wicked lives, they are 
the exception to, and not the rule of the divine ar- 
rangement. The Scriptures and experience go to 
show that there is the same connection between a 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 181 

religious life and a victorious death tliat there is be- 
tween sowing and reaping. Mark how clearly the 
Apostle Peter states the connection between eminent 
piety in life, and a happy death. " For if ye do 
these things, ye shall never fall ; for so an entrance 
shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the 
everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ." Now, this abunadant entrance, which means 
a happy, glorious death, depends upon doing certain 
things the apostle had mentioned. What are those 
things ? Why, the adding to our " faith, virtue ; and 
to virtue, knowledge ; and to knowledge, temperance ; 
and to temperance, patience ; and to patience, godli- 
ness ; and to godliness, brotherly kindness ; and to 
brotherly kindness, charity." In other words, a tri- 
umphant admission into the heavenly world when we 
die, is conditioned on high attainments in personal 
religion ; and the manner in which Bible-saints have 
lived and died, shows the position of the apostle to be 
true; who "was translated that he should not see 
death ?" Enoch, who, while living, walked with God. 
Who was carried up to heaven by a whirlwind ? Eli- 
jah, who made God and His cause, all, and in all. 
Who, in the trying hour, "fell on sleep?" David, 
who, while living, " served his own generation by the 
will of God." Whom did God dismiss from the work 
of life, by telling him, " Go thou thy way, till the end 
be, for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end 
of the days?" Daniel, who amid all the darkness, 
corruptions, trials, and temptations of a heathen court, 
1(3 



182 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

remained the scrupulous servant and representative of 
God. . . . Who exclaimed, " Lord, now lettest Thou 
Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word ?" 
Simeon, "who was just and devout, waiting for the 
consolation of Israel." Who, when stoned to death, 
" saw the Lord Jesus standing: on the rio^ht hand of 
God," and said, " Lord Jesus, receive my spirit ?" 
" Stephen, a man full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost." 
Who, in his seventy-fifth year, in the near prospect 
of a cruel death, exultingly exclaimed, " I am ready 
to be ofi'ered up." " I know whom I have believed." 
" Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of right- 
eousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will 
give me at that day?" Paul, who of all, whose 
names shine in the annals of redemption, trod most 
closely in the footsteps of his Master. Who, when en- 
tering the dark valley, exclaimed, "I am going to Mount 
Zion ! I am going to the city of the living God !" "I 
swim in a river of pleasure ! I swim in a flood of glory ?" 
Edward Payson, one of the brightest exemplifications 
of modern Christianity. And to mention but one more 
— out of the twice ten thousand whose passage into 
eternity has been flooded with light and glory — who 
was it that recently said, while dying, "'For more 
than forty years I have so ruled my life that when 
death came I might face it without fear." "I die 
happy and contented." " Come, my son, see how a 
Christian can die ?" It was General Havelock who, 
for more than forty years, had victoriously fought the 
battles of his country and his God. 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 183 

So then, Christian brother, would you, at life's close, 
have the monster fall stingless at your feet ; would 
you die without a doubt of your final salvation ; would 
you have angels unseen, hover around your couch, 
and when the last breath is out, be off with your 
spirit to Abraham's bosom ? O then, live the Chris- 
tian's life. Every new attainment you make in holi- 
ness, is but laying up for yourself a good foundation 
against the time to come. First of all, see to it that 
you have justifying faith, then think out, act out, live 
out, that faith — with your growth in years, grow in 
grace. In this way you will die safely, gloriously, 
and usefully. 

12. Our closing plea is^ that in living a holy life^ 
we live for eternity. There are three questions that 
come home to us with the weight of a thousand 
worlds. First, is there another life ? Do we cease to 
be, when we cease to breathe ? There is, according 
to the plain teaching of the ScrijDtures, another state 
of being into which we enter at death, with all our 
powers unimpaired. Secondly ; has our manner of 
living in this life, any connection with our well-being 
in the life to come ? Is there any known relation 
between the character we form on earth, and the 
rewards we receive in heaven ? There is. The Scrip- 
tures, with sunbeam clearness, tell us what we are to 
do, and what we must be, in order to meet God in 
peace and inherit eternal life. Then, thirdly ; what 
is it we must do, and what is it we must become, to 
secure the high rewards of grace after death ? It is 



184 MOTIVES TO HIGHER ATTAINMENTS 

to be changed in our state and be transformed in our 
natures and conduct, into the likeness of Jesus Christ. 
While our admission into heaven will be entirely on 
the score of grace, it is also true that our reward will 
be in proportion to our standard of holiness. Heaven 
is a world of supreme religious honor and enjoyment. 
Hence the higher the standard we reach here, the 
brighter our crown, and the greater the degree of our 
bliss there. 

We trench then not in the least on the doctrines 
of grace, we write scripturally and reasonably, when 
we affirm that of all on earth, he is making the surest 
work for eternity, who is the most religious in time. 
"What other men do as to their authors at least^ 
either terminates with the brief day of this life, or 
follows them into eternity as sources of pain." All 
that statesmen, scholars, economists, warriors, poets, 
moralists, and philosophers, are achieving, however 
useful to the world, is of no avail to their authors 
beyond the grave. If the enjoyments and employ- 
ments of heaven, consisted in the mere continuation 
of the different laudable enjoyments and employments 
of earth, then all these different classes would be trans- 
mitting a good influence for themselves, beyond the 
grave. But heaven is not the abode for the learned, 
the sages, the poets, philosophers, patiiots, the refined 
and noble. It is a place where the redeemed meet 
and receive the rich rewards of grace, where they 
have their every pain eased, their every pious desire 
fulfilled, their every religious hope realized, and their 



IN PRACTICAL RELIGION. 185 

every religious sacrifice recompensed a thousand-fold. 
So that heaven is the perfection of the religion we 
commence on earth. And if this be so, then to reap 
the golden harvest of everlasting life there, we must 
sow to the Spirit here ; to wear the crown there, we 
must bear the cross here ; we must trust Christ im- 
plicitly and imitate Him closely in this world, to have 
a seat near His throne in that. 

Would you then, Christian brother, make the most 
of this life, for that ? Would you make your manner 
of life tell for the good of others in this world, and 
be a safeguard to yourself, against the evils of the 
world to come ? Would you in death, lay your head 
upon the bosom of Christ without alarm? Would 
you, at the judgment-seat, hear the " well done" of the 
Judge, have Him single you out, amid the assembled 
universe, and confess you before His Father and His 
angels, welcome you into the kingdom prepared for 
you, from the foundation of the world, and then in 
heaven occupy a seat and enjoy a bliss above the an- 
gels ? Then make it the chief concern of every day to 
grow in grace, and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. 
Let the day on which some attainment in personal 
religion has not been made, be mourned over, and 
written down in the calendar of life, as a day lost. 



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